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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26047885">Ten Years</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/migaDbr/pseuds/migaDbr'>migaDbr</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Time, Beasts and the Grandson [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Inazuma Eleven, Inazuma Eleven GO</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Action/Adventure, Gen, Time Travel</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 09:40:22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>38,187</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26047885</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/migaDbr/pseuds/migaDbr</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Thanks to his great-grandson Kanon, the young Mamoru Endou has the chance to meet the people from ten years in the future and get to know about their situation. Supported by his old mates, a young Endou will try his best to be of help in the battle against Fifth Sector and to discover the dark truth about what future holds in store for soccer.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Time, Beasts and the Grandson [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/774144</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Is That Me!? Do-san, Raimon's New Coach!</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hello and welcome to Ten Years!! Today is Endou's birthday, so it felt like the perfect chance to bring to AO3 a story that is all about it--and that I genuinely thought I had already posted here, but life is full of surprises.</p>
<p>This fic started many years ago and its first chapters were basically the first thing I ever wrote. I haven't altered them whatsoever, so they are still as messy as they once were, but I hope those who can make it past them will eventually find something to enjoy. To this day, I still get messages asking me to finish this, and I totally will in due time.</p>
<p>I truly hope you will enjoy this thing I've poured so many hours into!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em> <strong>Chapter 1!</strong> </em>
</p>
<p>
  <strong> <em>Is That Me!? Do-san, Raimon's New Coach!</em> </strong>
</p>
<p>I stood watching him. It definitely had to be him. His skin was more tanned than mine; he was taller, of course; his hair was different <strong>—</strong>even if I can't say I didn't think it was awesome<strong>—</strong>, and his head wasn't so, umm, round? At least he wouldn't be called ball head now. Anyway, that had to be me. Myself, ten years in the future.</p>
<p>I couldn't think of anything but tugging his sleeve like a little child. …Carefully thought, I think I got quite on the wrong side with him; that could be the reason for his attitude towards me.</p>
<p>"Um? What…?" My older self said, looking at the kid next to him. Suddenly, he opened his eyes wide and stood observing me intently for a while. Neither I nor he were able to articulate a single word.</p>
<p>I managed to talk falteringly. I was the one who knew why I was seeing him after all…!</p>
<p>"M-mamoru Endou…?"</p>
<p>My older self nodded slowly. He was still staring at me, like he was trying to scrutinize my soul.</p>
<p>"And you are…?" I must say that the expression on his face while he was pronouncing these words was one of the strangest ones I have ever seen, but that's probably because I couldn't see my own face back then!</p>
<p>"…Mamoru Endou, too," I answered.</p>
<hr/>
<p>There was another uncomfortable silence between us. Suddenly, he crouched down to my height and looked straight in my eyes.</p>
<p>"…Endou-chi," He said, smiling. It's true that this was news to him, but, as he would tell me later on, after all those strange things that had happened since we went to Liocott Island, not many things could surprise him anymore. And, if he had met his grandson at the age of fourteen, why couldn't he see his younger self? In a sense, he was right, I guess.</p>
<p>"Do-san…!" I exclaimed. Calling him Endou or 'I' would have felt weird, and that was the first thing that crossed my mind. But well, we personally like it!</p>
<p>It's actually been a while since this happened, so I can't remember every single detail… But the conversation is still quite clear in my head. Or should I call it a monologue of questions?</p>
<p>"A-ah, wow…! You almost command as much respect as grandpa, Do-san…!" I stuttered. I actually didn't know what to say.</p>
<p>"Really now?" He laughed. He looked calmer than me. It must be his age. "Well, a long time has passed, Endou-chi. People grow up."</p>
<p>He patted my head a few times. I felt like a little child, although I didn't dislike it… But those pats certainly helped me see something that disconcerted me.</p>
<hr/>
<p>"What… what's that on your finger, Do-san?"</p>
<p>A golden ring was glittering on my adult self's hand. He limited himself to straightening up and playing with it while he smiled.</p>
<p>"You mean this? Well, I'm married now."</p>
<p>My face turned a dark shade of red, I felt it on my cheeks. Aki's image crossed my mind for an instant, but I was afraid to ask. I didn't want to ask. I didn't have to ask.</p>
<p>"W-who is…?"</p>
<p>My willpower leaves a lot to be desired sometimes.</p>
<p>"Heh, I'm afraid I can't tell you so, Endou-chi. There are some things you mustn't know."</p>
<p>I sighed, disappointed, even if I knew in advance that he would say something like that.</p>
<p>"…Can I at least know what your job is?"</p>
<p>"Me?" Do-san smiled. "I'm Raimon's new coach."</p>
<p>Ideas grouped up and ordered inside my head like lightning. So Takuto, the boy Kanon had told me he was Raimon's new captain, had acted in such a strange way towards me because he already knew who I was?</p>
<hr/>
<p>I tried not to think about that matter anymore.</p>
<p>"New coach?" I asked. "What about Hibiki-san and Kudou-san?"</p>
<p>"It's hard to explain…" Do-san scratched the nape of his neck. It looks like my eloquence isn't going to get any better with years… "But, anyway, that's nothing you must know anything about. Leave the Fifth Sector alone until you are… are… oh, yikes."</p>
<p>(…)</p>
<p>I can be such a bigmouth sometimes.</p>
<p>"Fifth Sector?" I hurried to ask."What's that, Do-san?"</p>
<p>"Nothing! Absolutely NOTHING! Let it be, Endou-chi."</p>
<p>"That's not fair! I want to know what has happened to Hibiki and Kudou!"</p>
<p>"I'm sorry, you can't."</p>
<p>I hate this facet of Do-san! It makes my blood boil when he treats me like a brat…!</p>
<p>He sighed.</p>
<p>"Okay, I'll tell you a bit about the subject. But accept it and that's that!"</p>
<p>"Y-yes!" I nodded, smiling.</p>
<hr/>
<p>"You see… Fifth Sector is an organization that controls nowadays' soccer. They decide matches' results even before they are played, and, if their orders aren't deferred, the consequences use to be catastrophic for the team. For disobeying once, Kudou was fired from Raimon, but I managed to substitute him and become the new coach. But calm down, we're doing everything possible at Raimon in order to return soccer to its former splendor."</p>
<p>"And… and who controls that…?"</p>
<p>"The leader of the organization calls himself Seitei, and is a cruel, unscrupulous man. I don't know what his intentions are exactly, but I'm sure we will manage to put a stop to him. But, for your own shake, Endou-chi, if you see him… walk off him. "</p>
<p>I gulped. This reminded me badly of Kageyama and his plans from the past. But it was different now. The control was absolutely real, and I was in the middle of it. I wanted to help. And I could only think of two ways to do it…</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Standing Up to Fifth Sector! Ishido, the Seitei, Appears!</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <strong>Chapter 2!</strong>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <strong>Standing Up to Fifth Sector! Ishido, the Seitei, Appears!</strong>
  </em>
</p>
<p>A bluish lock was falling over his face as he showed a little smile that made my blood run cold. He stood watching me, half-surprised, half-expectant. That Machiavellian expression didn't disappear from his face even when he started playing with ringlets of his hair.</p>
<p>"Hello, Mamoru," that man said, using a tone of voice that gave me goose bumps. "I wasn't expecting to see you around here, but, somehow, I'm not surprised. You always manage to get in the way."</p>
<p>It had to be him. But I was too scared to think clearly back then.</p>
<p>"W-who are you…? And how do you know my name?" I stuttered, taking a step backwards. That being was eradiating an aura of dark evil similar to Kageyama's back when he was still guiding Teikoku.</p>
<p>"The well-known Mamoru Endou," he started, emphasizing the word 'well-known' in a peculiar way. "Goalkeeper and captain for the best junior team of Japan, libero for the team that beat Academy Aliea, and considered by many people to be the best keeper of his generation after winning the FFI along with his team, Inazuma Japan. What would be strange would be not knowing you. And even more so knowing what my position is," he concluded. His whole speech denoted a mocking tone.</p>
<p>"T-then, are you… the Seitei?" I managed to say, almost stammering. His cold smile became intensified.</p>
<p>"Well, well. What a smart and well-informed boy we have here… Indeed. My name's Shuuji Ishido, Seitei and Fifth Sector's principal headmaster."</p>
<p>I shuddered. It was him. The man I had to walk off from. The soccer tyrant I had been ordered to avoid at all costs. A man I had to run away from without a second thought.</p>
<p>The one I had to put a stop to.</p>
<hr/>
<p>I tried to control my voice and bring it back to its usual tone. I clenched my fists and jaw. I think I even growled like a furious dog!</p>
<p>"Y-you…" I roared while frowning.</p>
<p>"Is there anything you want to tell me, little one?" The leader of Fifth Sector arched a brow, making fun of me.</p>
<p>I gulped.</p>
<p>"Seitei!" I shouted, pointing at him. "Leave the soccer we all love so much alone or you'll have me to deal wi-uhmmn!"</p>
<p>Someone had grabbed me from behind and had covered my mouth.</p>
<p>"Shut your trap, Endou-chi!"</p>
<hr/>
<p>Do-san! Where had he come out from…?</p>
<p>"And you, Shuuji, if there's anything you want to say, tell me so personally!"</p>
<p>"You'll never believe it. Who do we have here? Isn't this scene moving? You look like father and son. And excuse me, Endou, but, technically, I was telling you so."</p>
<p>"Don't try to confuse me!"</p>
<p>Do-san was shouting angrily. The Seitei was smiling. I was turning into the same color as Ishido's locks since my adult self hadn't let go of my mouth yet and I couldn't breathe.</p>
<p>That evil man stared at me.</p>
<p>"Join me, Mamoru," the dictator purposed me as he stretched his hand out. "Wouldn't you like to control the world of soccer? I bet your grandpa would be proud of seeing you in such an important post."</p>
<p>Do-san let go of me. I glared back at Ishido, interchanging gazes with my adult self from time to time. I could see fear in his eyes every time he looked at me.</p>
<p>Do-san was afraid of my answer.</p>
<hr/>
<p>I wavered. Not because I was considering it, but because of Do-san's fear I would do so.</p>
<p>I couldn't believe it.</p>
<p>"I will never support a cause like that, Seitei!" I screamed. "You have no right to tamper with matches and limit the potential of the players in your own aid!"</p>
<p>"I don't expect a kid to understand my motives," the tyrant answered back, "but I'm offering you the chance of having the power over everything. You will know everything about your rivals. You will be able to know their weaknesses and use it against them. Don't you like the idea of being able to face someone knowing for certain that you will be able to beat him?"</p>
<p>"Not at all! The whole point of soccer is of it being fun, of finding strong players and thinking about how will you overcome them so you can obtain the victory. Someone like you who can't understand that doesn't deserve to own the control over soccer!"</p>
<p>Do-san pressed me against him.</p>
<p>"Calm down, Mamoru. I have tried before, and it's no use attempting to reason with him… by now. We must show our convictions with actions."</p>
<p>"D-do-san…"</p>
<p>Ishido laughed.</p>
<p>"Pay attention to grown-ups, little one. I won't change my mind just like that; I regret nothing. If you want things to change, you better exert yourselves in the Holy Road."</p>
<p>The Seitei disappeared within the shadows after lodging these words.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Ouch! Every time I remember the rap Do-san gave me on the head as soon as we got out of there and the scene calmed down, my head starts to spin!</p>
<p>"What was that for?" I asked. He sighed irritated.</p>
<p>"Didn't I tell you to get away from him, Endou-chi?" He crouched down to my level and looked straight in my eyes, snorting softly as he gave me little shoves in the forehead with his fingers.</p>
<p>"But, he suddenly appeared in front of me and… and… I didn't know who he was!"</p>
<p>It was his fault. He hadn't even described him to me!</p>
<p>"Thank goodness I was near… You must be more careful. Now we both are in danger!"</p>
<p>I growled crossly.</p>
<p>"…You're right. I'm sorry, Do-san."</p>
<p>My adult self ruffled my hair fondly.</p>
<p>"It's okay. After all, I'm the one who knows you best and I should have supposed something like this, don't you think?" Do-san offered me one of those bright smiles everyone always tells me about. It's not like I want to brag, but it's quite spectacular closely seen!</p>
<p>I returned the smile and we agreed to leave those subjects apart for the moment. Do you remember that I told you guys that I could only think of two ways of facing Fifth Sector? Well, the first one, directly facing that Seitei guy, looked like it hasn't turned out too well. The time to put the second option into practice had come.</p>
<p>The B method.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. The B Method! Help Me, Yu-san!</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <strong>Chapter 3!</strong>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <strong>The B Method! Help Me, Yu-san!</strong>
  </em>
</p>
<p>If I had to place my life in the hands of a single person —and I couldn't choose grandpa—, I would undoubtedly trust it to Yuuto Kidou. Even if we started as rivals, the common cause joint us together in Raimon since we both wanted to beat Zeus, me because I wanted to win the Football Frontier tournament and him so he could find out how could have they beaten his old team, Teikoku, so easily, since he had noticed something weird was going on and that that strength they had shown wasn't normal at all. Also, Yuuti is an amazing strategist! If it wasn't because of him and his amazing game vision, we wouldn't have reached even half as far as we did in the FF, and we wouldn't have been the ones who had to fought against the aliens, and, of course, we wouldn't have gone to the world championship! He's so smart, so nice and has such a strong sense of friendship and justice…</p>
<p>That's why what I saw that day surprised me that much.</p>
<hr/>
<p>The first thing I asked myself when I saw him was where he had left his usual goggles. It's not like I don't like the ones he wears now —they are big and green, really cool! Even if there are people who say he looks like a bug. I don't think so, or at least not more so than before…—, it's simple curiosity. Also, he was wearing a tuxedo instead of a cape, and he had his hair loose, although he was still wearing those sorts of rastas. I have actually never known what they are exactly, but I like it better when he wears them bunched up. Anyway!</p>
<p>I plonked myself in front of him. I think he was slightly surprised, but there was no way to know it with those goggles. Although, after seeing everyone else's reactions, I supposed Kidou's would be similar or a little colder perhaps.</p>
<p>"Yu-san…?" I asked, tilting my head slightly.</p>
<p>"Oh, Endou-kun. What a surprise," Yu-san showed a faint smile but, as always, it didn't last long. How great it felt to know that he was the same as always! …Not like a certain other person who treats me like a kid.</p>
<p>It was a little hasty, but I pounced on him to hug him. I was so happy to see him! I had been looking for him for days! …In spite of Do-san's advice of not doing so. And I think I know why now. He must already be aware of Kidou's tasks back then…</p>
<p>Yu-san hugged me back. I think that, since I was younger than them, my mates didn't care about such things anymore, but I'm sure that if he had been the young Kidou, he would have freaked out!</p>
<p>I grinned from ear to ear before answering.</p>
<p>"Yu-san, I'm so happy to see you…! How are you? What do you work as now? Are Sakuma and Fudou around here?"</p>
<p>"Wait a minute, Endou-kun, I can't answer so fast," Yu-san smiled again, even if it was one of those smiles people give to people they consider 'kids'. At least, this was the only thing in which I noticed something in the style of 'you're still too young for these things' in the whole conversation. That, or it was way more exaggerated in Do-san and I was taking it as reference. "Well, I can't complain. I'm Teikoku's coach now, and Sakuma is my helper. And it's been a while since I last saw Fudou, I don't know what he is up to."</p>
<p>"Ah, well, then if I get to see him I will tell y- wait, Teikoku's coach? Are you serious!?"</p>
<p>…Yes, okay, I admit it! I was more thrilled by the idea of playing with the new Teikoku rather than by the fact of Yu-san and Saku-san training them. But it's not a crime, right?</p>
<p>Right…?</p>
<p>"I'm not lying to you. Moreover, we have really great players with us. But, of course, we are always conditioned by- eh, never mind it."</p>
<p>That reminded me the reason why I was looking for him before. I almost forgot it!</p>
<p>"Eh, Yu-san… Do you know what Fifth Sector is?"</p>
<p>He went tense all of a sudden. He looked away slightly and scowled.</p>
<p>"Yes. I do know it, Endou-kun. Everyone knows about it nowadays. But I can't tell you anything, I'm sorry."</p>
<p>"That's okay, I know everything already…! That's why I wanted to ask you to help me fight it, Yu-san! I'm sure you will be able to do something! Also, since you are now Teikoku's coa-"</p>
<p>"Stop it, Endou. Stop it already."</p>
<p>Yu-san cut me short.</p>
<p>"I won't go against Fifth Sector," My old teammate continued.</p>
<p>"W-why, Yu-san…? Is there anything wrong?" I stuttered.</p>
<p>"It's easy. I'm a part of it."</p>
<hr/>
<p>What did he mean a part of it…? Was Kidou involved in that evil organization that was controlling the world of the sport I loved so much? What the heck had entered his head!?</p>
<p>All this, and maybe even some more things, was what I suddenly asked him about. His answer, though, was quite concise.</p>
<p>"It is no concern of yours."</p>
<p>I had never seen Kidou talking in such a curt way. Nevertheless, I think that the disappointment face I put in that moment soothed him a little.</p>
<p>"Endou…" He said before making a pause and letting out a long sigh."I'm only asking you to trust me. You know I would never harm soccer, but this is something I must do. Really."</p>
<p>I clenched my fists and jaw. It was hard for me to think of a reason why Yuuto Kidou, my old friend Yuuti, could have joint an organization like that. What was he looking for? Power? Money? …A house for coach Kudou?</p>
<p>"Y-yu-san…" I tried to answer. "I trust you… I know you are smart enough to not succumb to anyone no matter what the circumstances are, but… It's so hard to trust you when you tell me you are with 'those'…"</p>
<p>I sighed deeply and closed my eyes. I was about to cry of pure helplessness when I felt Yu-san's hand on my head. When I looked at him again, he had crouched down to my level, and, with his gaze fixed on my eyes, he uncovered his. Some deep crimson red-coloured eyes, which flickered like a warm and cosy campfire, put in an appearance on his face, as I had never seen them before. Resolute and, at the same time, sad.</p>
<p>He scowled slightly as he looked straight in my pupils. I did the same. Kidou's soul, reflected in his eyes, was telling me that everything would work out well. That I had to trust. That, shortly enough, he would find a way to help us.</p>
<hr/>
<p>The only things Yu-san told me in that moment were a few pieces of information about Fifth Sector. How they were a very important organization, that they have acquired a lot of power with time… More or less, what I already knew. Even though, there was something that really caught my attention.</p>
<p>"SEED?" I asked.</p>
<p>"Yes. SEEDs are players assigned to the different teams in order to make it easier to control them. They are specifically chosen by us, so their level is far superior to their teammates' in general terms."</p>
<p>Again with the subject of control.</p>
<p>"Why so much control? Wouldn't it be better if matches were decided by teams' abilities better than by a paper?"</p>
<p>"…Let it be, Endou. I doubt you could understand our reasons by now."</p>
<p>The same answer as always.</p>
<p>"It… it's okay," I nodded. "And what actually is special about those players?"</p>
<p>"We mainly select as SEEDs those players who have already released their Keshin."</p>
<p>…Ke-what?</p>
<p>"What are you talking about?"</p>
<p>He blinked surprised and let out a short guffaw before staying with a half smile on his face.</p>
<p>"You have been told about every single negative thing of soccer and not the only thing that might have interested you? Well, well."</p>
<p>"Oh, come on, don't make me ask twice! Tell me, Yu-san!"</p>
<p>"Heh, yes, okay, calm down. Keshins are the physical materialization of a person's spiritual power. Being able to release it and use it requires a lot of training and mental self-control, but a bad use might exhaust you."</p>
<p>I didn't quite get it, but it sounded so cool!</p>
<p>"I want to see one! Can you use it, Yu-san?"</p>
<p>"I'm afraid I can't. But if you really want to see one… call by your origins."</p>
<p>My origins, huh? Well, it wasn't a bad idea! That way, also, I could test Do-san's abilities, and, on top of that, I would see one of those spiritual thingies Yu-san was talking about!</p>
<hr/>
<p>I said goodbye to my friend and I ran out. Well, my 'B method', asking Yuuto Kidou for help, didn't go as I expected. …Actually, it had been a harsh blow to see that he was supporting the cause I was fighting against, but he must had his own good reasons to be there! After all, he's the intelligent one.</p>
<p>That's when I understood that I could only ask for help from the people who were already in the middle of the crux, and it would be better that way. The time to put the real B method into practice had come. The most useful way I had of fighting against Fifth Sector back then. The only way, rather.</p>
<p>The time to check what I had been imparting was up. Surprise exam!</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Is That A Keshin? Endou-chi's Exam!</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <strong>Chapter 4!</strong>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <strong>Is That A Keshin? Endou-chi's Exam!</strong>
  </em>
</p>
<p>How should I put it… The high school looked very different. Really, the mess my grandson had kicked up was strikingly clear. I recognized many things from the Raimon school I remembered, but many areas had been renewed; I would later know that the areas I recognized were new for Do-san's guys. In any case, Raimon was still the same as always in essence except for its headship, but I didn't know that yet. Also, since I got there before it opened, I didn't see anyone around as I explored. …This is kind of tricky to explain. Let's just say that it was a mixture between the Raimon school I knew and Do-san's!</p>
<p>Ah, right, since I got there early, I should explain how I managed to enter… It's not like I sneaked in or anything!</p>
<p>Everything goes back to our comeback from the Football Frontier International. That day, when I was about to leave the high school after the celebration, Raimon-san, the school's principal and Natsumi's father–which isn't exactly a secret, since she's really proud of him and she brags about it whenever she can–took a few steps towards me.</p>
<p>"Endou-kun," Souichirou Raimon started. I was beginning to worry, thinking I might had done something wrong, but it's just that he has always been somewhat curt and it's easy to get the wrong idea! "Come over here for a minute."</p>
<p>"Y-Yes, Raimon-san?" I asked as I moved closer. "What is it?"</p>
<p>"I wanted to personally thank you for everything, Endou-kun. Thanks to you and your soccer club, Raimon has won a lot of prestige as of late. You were FF's champions and you even managed to get a hold of the world, not to mention save it from Aliea Academy. And I'm really sorry for not having trusted you from the very beginning." Raimon-san seemed really sorry while saying that, so I tried to cheer him up. That was the least I could do for the man who, in the end, had done so much to help us!</p>
<p>"It's fine, really!" I said, grinning. "It's true that we were pretty bad at the beginning… But we inherited the spirit of the legendary Inazuma Eleven, so there was no way we could fail!"</p>
<p>"Either way, I would like to give you something to repay you." The principal put his hand in his pocket and took out a big key ring, totally crammed. "Here you are. These are Raimon's keys. Absolutely all of them, from the one to the front door to the one to my office, as well as all classes' and annexed buildings'."</p>
<p>I stood there gaping, but I loved the idea.</p>
<p>"And… why, Raimon-san?"</p>
<p>"You deserve to have full access to the high school that you saved. Furthermore, you will be able to use the field and the Inabikari Center whenever you want to, so you will never lack of training."</p>
<p>For the first time in my life, I saw Raimon-san smiling truly happily and even jokingly. He even gave me a thumbs-up! I could only take the keys carefully, since they were a real treasure, and thank him a bunch of times before I finally left. Ever since then, I train at Raimon every morning, with or without company!</p>
<p>And, of course, those were the keys I used to go in the school that day. Fortunately, all of the ones I ended up using still worked! And so, without any more delay, I started setting everything up for the test I was planning to do.</p>
<hr/>
<p>When I had been there for almost an hour, I heard a voice that came crooning happily. I stood looking at its silhouette as it approached me. What surprised me the most was to see it was holding some sort of stick. As it came closer, I realized it wasn't just a stick, but a rod. The boy, for his part, was kind of skinny, had wavy, blue-ish hair secured by a pair of diving goggles, and was quite tanned. He greeted me from afar with a wave.</p>
<p>"Coach Endou!" The newcomer shouted cheerfully, running towards me. Nevertheless, his face changed little by little, and, by the time he stood next to me, what used to be a smile had turned into a doubtful face. "Coach Endou?" He repeated. "What happened to you? Oh, I must've grown!"</p>
<p>I laughed softly and tried to explain myself as good as possible.</p>
<p>"No, I'm sorry, I'm not your coach! I will be one day, but there are about ten years to go before that happens!"</p>
<p>The boy blinked a few times, even more confused than before. After a while of talking to him and answering his questions, he surprisingly seemed to quite understand what was going on.</p>
<p>"So, you're the young coach Endou? Well, ain't that odd."</p>
<p>We both laughed, and then I realized I didn't know his name.</p>
<p>"I'm sorry, but you haven't told me what your name is yet! You know it already, but, anyway, my name is Mamoru Endou. You can call me Mamoru if you want to, though!"</p>
<p>"Sure, Mamoru-san," he crooned. "My name's Kaiji Hamano, and yeah, I'm a player for… uh, 'new' Raimon! I play as midfielder."</p>
<p>I shook his hand and we chatted for a while until most of the other members of the team arrived. Hamano and I explained the situation to the rest, but not all of them took it as philosophically as him; some were really dense.</p>
<p>"'Kay, I think I've got it, but… what's all that in aid of?"</p>
<p>The boy who had asked, a human bulk called Daichi Amagi, pointed at the field I had been preparing. There was a huge pile of balls next to both penalty spots, a tricky path of cones, and the speciality of the house: a dribbling machine made out of tyres! Basically, there were three truck tyres tied up to a hanging post, fastened by wooden poles on its sides. It was about pushing the tyres forward while a player tried to dribble them all and not be sent to the hospital in the attempt. In front of all the question they asked, I could only repeat, grinning, the answer that I brought ready from home.</p>
<p>"Surprise exam!"</p>
<hr/>
<p>After a short while, Takuto Shindou showed up. I had already met him before; in fact, he was the first person from the future that I saw, and the proof that Kanon brought me to show me the 'gift' he had set up for me. He looked at the field and at his–worn out–players for a second before turning his gaze towards me.</p>
<p>"…Endou-kun. What are you doing here?"</p>
<p>Nevertheless, and I won't deny it, I didn't pay attention to him at first; something different attracted my attention. Taku-taku wasn't alone. Three boys came with him: the first one had blue eyes and brown hair, from which two spirals in the shape of wings stuck out at both sides of the head. He looked energetic and cheerful as he talked to the second boy, the smallest one in the team, according to what I had seen so far. He had big brown eyes and a hairstyle that, even if it was much more exaggerated, kind of reminded me of my own. He was even wearing a headband similar to mine! But it was the last player who impressed me the most and the one I was actually looking at.</p>
<p>The aura he shed was… dark, but, at the same time, familiar. It seemed to me like a mixture between Gouenji, Someoka and Fudou, as I would tell him many times in the future; even if that comparison, except for Gouenji, wouldn't really make him happy. In fact, his hairstyle kind of looked like Gouenji's except for the colour–his was dark blue–and the few ornaments he was wearing: bangs, curly sideburns, some sort of, uh… ponytail? I'm not good at hairdressing matters, sorry…! His eyes, on the other hand, reminded me of Fudou's. They were cold, but, at the same time, I could feel through them that there was something good inside of him, just the same way I felt about Fudou when he joined Inazuma Japan. Finally, his reactions reminded me of Someoka: he seemed tough, but, somehow, you could tell he cared about what happened to others. It was really surprising. And even from afar, even without seeing him touch a ball, I knew he was an amazing player. It's only natural, though; after all, he was… Oh, well, it might be too soon to talk about that.</p>
<hr/>
<p>The new captain shook his hand in front of my face quickly, trying to attract my attention. Yes, all right, I was a little lost in thought, that's all.</p>
<p>"Hey, Endou-kun. Are you okay?"</p>
<p>"Ah? Yes, yes! Say, Taku-taku, who's the tall boy you came with?"</p>
<p>Taku-taku made a wry face for a second, but I even today don't know why.</p>
<p>"Do you mean Tsurugi? He's been sent to our team from Fifth Sec-"</p>
<p>A voice behind us cut Taku-taku short.</p>
<p>"You already poking your nose again, Endou-chi?"</p>
<p>"Coach Endou!" Takuto said, bowing lightly. "Then wasn't it you who brought your son here?"</p>
<p>Do-san and I looked at each other for a second and burst out laughing.</p>
<p>"Ha ha! This one here," Do-san explained, placing his hand on my head, "isn't my son, Shindou. It's me when I was young."</p>
<p>My adult self called over the ones who came with Taku-taku too. That was when I knew they were called Tenma Matsukaze, Shinsuke Nishizono and Kyousuke Tsurugi. He explained them everything again, and their reactions were the most striking ones of the team.</p>
<p>Tsurugi didn't stop staring at me during the whole explanation. He kept narrowing his eyes more and more as Do-san talked; you could even say it was scary! When the explanation was over, he turned around and left, with a curt 'as if we hadn't enough already with dealing with a single soccer freak.' …Such ill-feeling.</p>
<p>Matsukaze and Nishizono, for their part, opened their eyes wider than what I thought it was even possible. A smile grew on their lips as Do-san talked about the situation. Nevertheless, seeing Tsurugi's reaction erased that happiness from their faces. Matsukaze bowed at me quickly and ran away after his teammate, calling out his name loudly.</p>
<p>"Excuse him, he's fairly ill-tempered," Do-san comforted me. Meanwhile, Taku-taku was self-absorbed in thought.</p>
<p>"Are you all right?" Both of us Mamorus asked him at the same time.</p>
<p>"Yes. It's that… this is rather odd, coach."</p>
<p>"It's understandable. But don't go round in more circles than necessary, Shindou," Do-san answered. Soon, he looked at me and added: "But the question here is another one. What're you doing here, Endou-chi?"</p>
<p>"Ah, well, I was thinking of training with you guys for a while…!" I answered quite nervously, not being able to hold a guffaw. I thought they wouldn't ask any questions; I hadn't got any answers ready! "I have the guys training already. I wanted to see for a bit how your age's soccer is, especially those Keshin things!"</p>
<p>"And where have you heard about Keshins?" My adult self asked, staring at me while frowning. "…You went to see Kidou, didn't you?"</p>
<p>"W-well, yes, but-"</p>
<p>He didn't let me finish.</p>
<p>"Didn't I expressly tell you not to go, though!? Don't get into this, Endou-chi! It's dangerous, and there are certain things that you shouldn't know! In fact, you already know too much by having met Ishido, so stop sniffing around already!"</p>
<p>I never thought I could get so angry…</p>
<p>"C'mon, spit it out. What did Kidou tell you?"</p>
<p>I tried to summarize our conversation. Keshins, his job at Fifth Sector, SEEDs… Although I didn't mention his eyes.</p>
<p>"Come to think he was the smart one…" Do-san brought a hand to his forehead, seeming depressed. "Anyway, I guess there's nothing we can do now. And since you went to all this trouble…" He turned around and took Taku-taku with him, pushing him softly from the back with a hand as Taku-taku looked back, keeping me in sight. When he had already walked a bit, Do-san turned around. "Are you gonna stay there gaping or are you gonna come train with us?"</p>
<p>I grinned widely and ran after them.</p>
<hr/>
<p>"All right, Son Goku! Let's see how good you are at this!"</p>
<p>"…It's Sangoku, Endou-san. Taichi Sangoku."</p>
<p>"…Ah. Well, it's all the same! What really matters here is whether you can stop your rivals' shots or not!"</p>
<p>I was on the penalty spot. Sangoku was at the goalpost, and the whole team, even the coach, had made a circle around us. I had decided to begin my exam from the goalkeeper of the team. That way, while I was at it, I would have the chance to practice my shots, which is never bad! I don't have many chances to play as libero.</p>
<p>"Are you ready? I won't hold back!"</p>
<p>"Whenever you want, Endou-san!"</p>
<p>I brushed the ball slightly with my foot as I threw my leg back as far as I could. Meanwhile, the ball gathered power and started glowing with a blinding bluish shine. I noticed Do-san got a little surprised as he observed the scene with his arms crossed, smiling.</p>
<p>"It's been long. That's…"</p>
<p>"Grenade Shot… Kai!" I exclaimed as I kicked the ball as strong as I could. With time, I had got a shot powerful enough to break through Nemu-nemu's Procyon Net, so it would be interesting to see what my successor on Raimon's goal could do against that.</p>
<p>Sangoku kept still as I got my shot ready, with his right hand raised and holding his wrist with his other hand. Suddenly, his fist erupted and he jumped, spinning a few times in the air.</p>
<p>"Burning… Catch!" He shouted as he swooped down to the ball. His hand, still burning, pressed the ball against the floor, but the flames that covered it couldn't stop my shot from moving forward and entering the goal. Sangoku fell to the floor on his back and stayed there, seeming disappointed with himself. From there, he slammed the ground with his fist and clenched his teeth. I heard a muttered 'damn it,' or that's what I thought.</p>
<p>"Hey! That wasn't bad at all!"</p>
<p>I approached him smiling and lent him a hand. He shook it, smiling back at me, and I helped him stand up.</p>
<p>"You're really good, Endou-san. Your reputation as legendary player is well deserved."</p>
<p>"W-what? Legendary player?"</p>
<p>I looked back quickly, searching Do-san's eyes. He just shrugged; he didn't seem to understand either why people would call him that. I mean, we're nothing next to the grand, fantastic, incredible, astonishing, breathtaking, mind-blowing, stunning, dazzling, admirable, wonderful- I-I mean, next to grandpa Daisuke.</p>
<hr/>
<p>"I'm ready, Taku-taku!"</p>
<p>"…Stop calling me that."</p>
<p>"Let's place a bet: if you score, I'll stop!"</p>
<p>He scowled for a second and moved closer to Do-san. Taku-taku whispered something in his ear and, even if he made a wry face at first, he ended up nodding. He went back to the penalty spot.</p>
<p>"Okay, Endou-kun. I will by no means hold back."</p>
<p>"I wouldn't want it any other way!"</p>
<p>His voice became much more serious all of a sudden.</p>
<p>"I have been saving something up for an occasion like this. You would better not underestimate me!"</p>
<p>How should I explain what happened then? It was just… the most incredible thing I had ever seen!</p>
<p>He crossed his arms and started shouting, gathering strength. From Taku-taku's shadow a strange energy started flowing, dark and vibrating. That energy began taking shape, and ended up turning into a gigantic spirit! Yu-san's explanation didn't go far enough at all; it was much, <em>much</em> more impressing than what I could have ever imagined.</p>
<p>"Pay close attention to this, Endou-kun! This is my Keshin—Sousha Maestro!"</p>
<hr/>
<p>Taku-taku's Keshin had the shape of an orchestra conductor. It had four hands, and one of them held a baton. The spirit's hair, blue and similar to Taku-taku's, covered its eyes.</p>
<p>I stood watching that… being, stunned in front of the energy it shed. I couldn't stop shaking from the excitement.</p>
<p>"It's incredible, Taku-taku! I wish I could do something like that!"</p>
<p>Do-san started coughing all of a sudden, but I didn't really made an issue of it.</p>
<p>"You haven't seen the best yet," he smiled. "I wanted to save this for Holy Road, but, against the best goalkeeper of the world, I can't stand on ceremony."</p>
<p>The whole team was surprised. I prepared myself for the worse.</p>
<p>Everything became dark. Maestro lifted the ball with his four hands, making it waft between them as it poured its energy on it; in fact, it quite remembered me of the way I had just charged my Grenade Shot.</p>
<p>The Keshin let go of the ball, now imbued with its strength, which bounced gently on the floor. The next thing I knew Taku-taku appeared out of nowhere, shattering the darkness.</p>
<p>"This is my new hissatsu!"</p>
<p>He kicked with all of his might. The ball shot out towards me, with a gigantic bluish trail springing out of it. As it came closer, though, the shot lost power and, by the time it reached the goal, I had to do no effort to catch it; the ball was moving very gently, and there wasn't any trace of the trail that accompanied the shot before.</p>
<p>Taku-taku, on the other hand…</p>
<p>"Captain!"</p>
<p>The whole team hurtled to come on its captain's aid, who had collapsed due to the effort. And I ran towards him too, of course! In fact, I reached him first.</p>
<p>"Takuto! Answer me, Takuto! Are you all right?" I asked, frightened.</p>
<p>"You've won this time. Endou-kun…" He said in a very thin voice, barely unable to even open his eyes.</p>
<p>"Hey, Takuto. May I ask for a different prize?"</p>
<p>"…Go ahead."</p>
<p>"I want you to stop calling me Endou! From now on, I'm Mamoru for you!"</p>
<p>"Heh… Sure thing, Mamoru-kun."</p>
<p>We decided to leave the nickname thing for another day. However, a voice at our back attracted our attention. A voice that didn't exactly sound friendly.</p>
<hr/>
<p>"What a shame of a captain."</p>
<p>"D-don't say such things, Tsurugi!"</p>
<p>"Tsk. It's not like you're much better either, Matsukaze."</p>
<p>Matsukaze had managed to bring Tsurugi back to the field with everyone else.</p>
<p>"Tsurugi! How can you be like that? Can't you see your teammate is hurt?" I asked him angrily.</p>
<p>"He's useless. I told him he wouldn't be able to control his Keshin; he should know that only a handful of chosen ones, the SEEDs, can."</p>
<p>"He isn't useless just because he hasn't learnt how to yet! Can you do it or what?"</p>
<p>He smirked a little.</p>
<p>I frowned for a moment, but only until I realized what was going on. …Okay, maybe I took a little long there.</p>
<p>…SEED? Yu-san had told me about them. Envoys from Fifth Sector, set aside for controlling the team and making sure that the Seitei Shuuji Ishido's orders were obeyed. Then, he was…</p>
<p>One of them.</p>
<p>(…)</p>
<p>A chance as good as any other to train and test the team!</p>
<p>"You, Tsurugi! If you think you're all that strong, I challenge you!"</p>
<p>"Such foolery. I bet you'll do the same as the idiot of the coach and you'll simply dodge the shot."</p>
<p>"…What?" I stood watching Do-san. "You didn't face him?"</p>
<p>"There was no need, Endou-chi," he answered. Definitely, I'm destined to change a lot during these ten years that await me… Be there a need or not, a challenge is a challenge and it's a must to always give one's best!</p>
<p>"Well, then it's about time you face a Mamoru Endou for real! So, what do you say? You aren't scared of me, are you?"</p>
<p>"S-scared?" He made a wry face and let out a little growl of disapproval. He looked away and continued, "…Bah, I'll do away with you before you can even realize about it."</p>
<p>I couldn't stop myself from smiling.</p>
<p>"You really look like Gouenji!"</p>
<p>"L-like Gouenji-san…?" He became red in a matter of seconds, as if he had been told the biggest flattery in the whole world. But, well, Shu-shu's indeed great! "B-bah…"</p>
<hr/>
<p>"I'm waiting!"</p>
<p>He didn't say a single word; he just gave me a look of deep hate as he, just like Taku-taku had done, shouted and turned his body energy into a spirit.</p>
<p>"Come out—Kensei Lancelot!"</p>
<p>Tsurugi's Keshin impressed me even further than Sousha Maestro. It was a medieval knight that held a sword of monstrous proportions and a shield just as big. The knight's helmet, from which two enormous horns stood out, and the red cape, that waved from the energy that it shed, wouldn't help giving him a less menacing look.</p>
<p>"This is the true way of using a Keshin! I'll show you what a real hissatsu is!"</p>
<p>Lancelot covered the ball with its cape by order of Tsurugi. When I got to see it again, the ball was floating in the air, surrounded by a dark and yellowish aura. Tsurugi, with a powerful jump, volleyed the ball as his Keshin's sword got infused by the same power as the ball, boosting it by a thrust. Everyone looked at him in astonishment while the forward shouted.</p>
<p>"Lost Angel!"</p>
<p>It could be seen at first sight that it wasn't a shot like Taku-taku's. This one wouldn't lose power at all; what's more, I would say it kept increasing its power as it came closer to me. Tsurugi's level was much higher than his teammates', and he was using his best weapon to fight me. And that's why I decided to respond to his efforts with the very best I had.</p>
<p>I crossed my arms and gathered power with all of my body, releasing it all in one go in a shiny explosion of light and lightning. Behind my back, the complete version of my grandpa's ace hissatsu appeared: a gigantic majin rose up, sparkling, its divine cape streaming in the wind. Mimicking my moves, the majin threw his muscular and sharp arms back, only to finish up hurling them strongly against the shot that came straight to us.</p>
<p>"God Catch… G5!"</p>
<p>One, two and even three shoves were necessary for its hands and the ball to finally collapse, creating an energy bang in the demon god's hands.</p>
<p>The ball got trapped between my hands.</p>
<p>"W-what!?" Tsurugi howled, defeated and just as exhausted as Taku-taku. Nevertheless,, he didn't collapse. I knew already that a bad use of Keshins could wear out, but I never imagined it would reach such depths; if they had asked me, I would have said that it had been a perfect shot, and, still, it looked like he hadn't mastered it yet.</p>
<p>I approached him with the ball in my hands.</p>
<p>"Tsurugi…"</p>
<p>"So what, are you here to gloat!? Yes, you've won, dammit!"</p>
<p>"Of course not! I just wanted to tell you your shot was amazing!"</p>
<p>Tsurugi rose his gaze and stood watching me. His eyes were shiny and he seemed somewhat ashamed.</p>
<p>"Really…? Do you think so, Endou-san?"</p>
<p>I was very surprised at the way he acted and called me all of a sudden.</p>
<p>"S-sure! I never imagined such power would exist! But I'm not an easy rival to beat, you know?" I said, grinning widely.</p>
<p>"…Of course not. You're the best goalkeeper in the world, Endou-san."</p>
<p>He shot a deadly glance at all the others.</p>
<p>"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU LOOKING AT, YOU SHITLOAD OF IDIOTS!? GET OUTTA HERE!"</p>
<p>The reactions were different; some laughed, some others got scared, and Do-san simply smiled, but they all left. Tsurugi kept me, though.</p>
<p>"…Wait, Endou-san."</p>
<hr/>
<p>We sat on a hillside close to the field.</p>
<p>"So it's true, after all… You're a SEED."</p>
<p>"Yes. Or so I was, at least. …I'm not sure how far I can tell you, Endou-san."</p>
<p>"Don't worry, don't worry! For me, meeting you guys is already enough!" I smiled.</p>
<p>"…You're just like in those videos. They were right when they said you were so cheerful."</p>
<p>"Ha ha, I guess so…! But tell me, Tsurugi, what did you want?"</p>
<p>"That… C-curse it, I mean… I… A-am…"</p>
<p>"Sorry?" I smiled. Tsurugi nodded lightly.</p>
<p>"It's just that… Crap, this is really hard…"</p>
<p>"It's fine, don't fret! I couldn't get mad at such an amazing player, anyway."</p>
<p>"Uh, Endou-san… Were you serious when you told me I looked like… like Gouenji-san?" He said, blushing slightly and averting his gaze, probably to hide it.</p>
<p>"You remind me of him a lot, yes," I said, looking at the sky. "He's just as energetic as you, and he had that attitude too at first. But he's my best friend now!"</p>
<p>"Ah, I see…"</p>
<p>A cloud as round as a soccer ball crossed the sky. We both looked at it with a smile on our lips. His still looked shaky, though.</p>
<hr/>
<p>"Ah, aah… I'm… dead tired…" Ranmaru Kirino, defender, said. "J-just for how much time have we been here?"</p>
<p>"What? Are you tired already? We have only been training for six hours, though!"</p>
<p>"I-I'm ready to keep going, Endou-san!" Matsukaze said, energetic, even if he was clearly exhausted.</p>
<p>"Okay, guys, that's enough for today. Give them a rest, Endou-chi; you're gonna kill them at this rate."</p>
<p>"Don't worry! I'm sure they can keep going for a little more! Right, guys?"</p>
<p>"T-this is inhuman!" Tsurumasa Hayami, midfielder, complained pitifully. "N-no more, please…!"</p>
<p>I sighed.</p>
<p>"Okay, fine… Head to the shower."</p>
<p>I didn't have to repeat myself. Soon, Do-san and I were left alone.</p>
<p>"So what, happy now? You've seen them already. Say, what do you think?"</p>
<p>"They remind me of my guys. Our guys, that is. I think something really good can come from this team, Do-san! They still have a lot to learn, but they are indeed much stronger than what we were when we started!"</p>
<p>"I see we finally agree on something," he said, smiling.</p>
<p>We fistbumped and I went to the showers with them.</p>
<hr/>
<p>"E-Endou-san, that was amazing! You're even greater up close…!"</p>
<p>"Cut it out, Matsukaze! It's not such a big deal…!"</p>
<p>"Tenma, leave Mamoru-kun alone already. Can't you see you're bothering him?"</p>
<p>"I-I'm sorry, Endou-san! I'll try to control myself…"</p>
<p>"Don't scold him, Taku-taku. He doesn't mean any harm!"</p>
<p>"…I can't wait to master that hissatsu and beat you once and for all to get rid of that nickname."</p>
<p>"Hey, but the question here's what've Tsurugi and you been talking about, Mamoru-san."</p>
<p>"Shut up! I-It's none of your business!"</p>
<p>"Calm down, Tsurugi. It was nothing, was it?"</p>
<p>"…No. Nothing."</p>
<p>"If you say so…"</p>
<p>"Hey! WHO STOLE MY LUNCHBOX? COME ON, ONE OF YOU MUST HAVE TAKEN IT!"</p>
<p>"Oi, Amagi, dude, calm down."</p>
<p>"I'M SURE IT WAS YOU, KURAMA! GIVE IT BACK!"</p>
<p>I couldn't help laughing. They were different, but it reminded me so much of Raimon's trainings…</p>
<hr/>
<p>Once I was out of the shower and dressed, I said goodbye to the guys and I went out to the field again. They stayed at the changing room, so I decided to use that chance to talk to Do-san for a while longer.</p>
<p>"With some proper training, they could get so far."</p>
<p>"Yeah, and Holy Road's gonna be tough."</p>
<p>"Ah, yes, that's right, I forgot to ask you! What's the Holy Road, Do-san?"</p>
<p>"What? Didn't Kidou tell you about it?"</p>
<p>I shook my head.</p>
<p>"The Holy Road would be… sort of the same as the Football Frontier we took part in, only that the winner gets something else than just a title. This time around we aren't just playing for fun, but to remove Ishido from his post as Seitei."</p>
<p>"So that's what you play for? To get back the soccer we know?"</p>
<p>"Pretty much. …Actually, I don't even know why I'm telling you about all this, but I guess that, since you know so much already, it won't hurt much to know that too. After all, I'm counting on you to help me control this bunch."</p>
<p>We both chuckled, but we stopped when we saw people starting to come out. Do-san stood up.</p>
<p>"Good training today, guys; let's continue tomorrow! And, Shindou, I want to see how far you get with that shot of yours."</p>
<p>"Yes, coach. I'll do my best."</p>
<p>"Hey, you should give it a name already, Taku-taku!"</p>
<p>"Name it?"</p>
<p>"Yes! Tell me, what are you into? Your Keshin looked like a musician!"</p>
<p>"Yes… I play the piano. In fact, one of my hissatsus is called Fortissimo; it's a kind of… rhythm, to make it simple."</p>
<p>"Well, you seem to need to be in perfect sync with your Keshin, so what if you name it after… Ah, how is that when… you know, when music sounds good as a whole? That about balancing it all, or… I don't really know."</p>
<p>"Are you talking about harmony?"</p>
<p>"Yes, that's the word!"</p>
<p>"Harmony, huh… Yes, I think it might sound good."</p>
<p>I said goodbye and left with my adult self for a walk before going back home.</p>
<hr/>
<p>"By the way, what did you tell Tsurugi?"</p>
<p>"It was nothing, really! Shouldn't you know it already, though?" I answered.</p>
<p>"It's weird, Endou-chi. Suddenly, stuff that I can't remember having gone through comes to my head, but not everything you do seems to reach me."</p>
<p>"You might need time for those things to reach you!"</p>
<p>"Heh, yeah, it could be!"</p>
<p>We couldn't go on talking for much longer. Suddenly, a woman of the same height as Do-san approached him and… and… What? I-I'm not blushing!</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Family Ties! Endou-chi's Brand-new Mission!</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em> <strong>Chapter 5!</strong> </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> <strong>Family Ties! Endou-chi's Brand-new Mission!</strong> </em>
</p>
<p>She was as tall as Do-san, she was wearing a pink jacket and she had a bright red hair that seemed very familiar to me. My adult self cleared up any doubts when he pronounced her name.</p>
<p>For some reason that I couldn't understand at the time, Do-san pointed at me with insistence. The woman let go of him and looked at me instead. Right after, she came closer to me and began to… stroke my face, or something like that. It wasn't a regular caress, but more like a grope around my cheeks, as if she were trying to check whether I was really there. Meanwhile, I just stood looking at her. The truth is that she was really pretty, ha ha…!</p>
<p>"I thought you were joking, Mamo— …Endou-kun."</p>
<p>"And here I thought I was being serious enough…" Do-san said with half a smile. "Is it really that hard to trust my word, Natsumi?"</p>
<p>I blinked a couple of times; I didn't understand a word, but I made up my mind to ask about the only thing I was half sure about.</p>
<p>"Natsumi? Is that really you?"</p>
<p>I must had made some sort of weird face, because Natsumi let out a shriek and glomped me saying I was… c-cute!</p>
<p>"L-let go of me! You're embarrassing me…!" I stammered. Even if she did stop hugging me to just place her hands on my shoulders, the smile wouldn't disappear from her face.</p>
<p>"Ha ha! What a pretty picture!" Do-san laughed. What he found funny was shaming me to death. …Although it wasn't all bad. "C'mon, let Endou-chi go already or you're gonna scare him."</p>
<p>"I couldn't help it." Her smile became even bigger, and she crooned, "You're just too lovely, Chibimamo…~"</p>
<p><em>…Ch-chibiwhat!?</em>, I thought to myself. To be honest, even today, I still think that nickname is a bit… childish.</p>
<p>"What are you doing here, Natsumi… san?" I asked. She caressed my hair gently before replying, smiling all along. I couldn't help wondering when she had become so affectionate.</p>
<p>"I'm here to see Endou. The other one, I mean. We had planned to meet up, did you know?"</p>
<p>"Meet…?" I blinked. "For what?"</p>
<p>Do-san began to laugh like a fool. He seemed nervous. …I wonder if I look the same when I'm not feeling comfortable.</p>
<p>"Oh, I had to talk something with him. Work things, but there's no hurry," she smiled. Next, she turned her head and winked at Do-san, who sighed before returning the smile. They both looked at me. "I think we could spend some time with you today, Chibimamo. If you want, that is."</p>
<p>"S-sure! I would love to spend time with you and learn about how your lives have turned out!"</p>
<p>Natsumi-san's tender smile didn't seem to fade away.</p>
<p>"You're so sweet...~ Okay, then it's decided! We'll spend the rest of the day with you. Right, Endou-kun?"</p>
<p>Do-san laughed nervously again, and I had no choice but to laugh along. We were both exhausted after the exam, and, even if I didn't want to hurt Natsumi-san's feelings, I was dying to have dinner and sleep.</p>
<p>"C'mon, let go of him, Nats…" I recall that he made a weird pause in the middle of her name, "…u-umi. We've a few days to be with him, but look at him now: can't you see he's completely shattered? This animal's been testing the new Raimon personally."</p>
<p>"Really?" Natsumi-san laughed while she placed her hair behind her ear. "Although I don't know what I'm so surprised about; it's so typical of you…! You just can't stay still, can you, Chibimamo?"</p>
<p>"Ha ha, I guess not…!"</p>
<p>"And, tell me, what did you think?"</p>
<p>"They're great! Son Goku has a great potential; Taku-taku's Keshin is incredible, and Kyou-kyou has amazing natural strength!"</p>
<p>Natsumi-san laughed happily while looking at Do-san, who shrugged.</p>
<p>"What's with those nicknames, Chibimamo?"</p>
<p>"Ah...! Well, I think it's a good way to get closer to them; nicknames are a proof of friendship! That's why you call me Chibimamo too, right?" I grinned.</p>
<p>"You got me," she said, grinning as well. "You're a great friend to me, Endou-kun."</p>
<p>"I love you so much as well, Natsumi-san!"</p>
<p>She blinked, flushed a bit and her smile got wider. She looked very surprised.</p>
<p>"You… love me?" She asked, looking at Do-san with insistence. I started wondering what those two were up to.</p>
<p>"Sure!" I replied in a hurry. "You're one of my best friends, Natsumi-san, so of course I love you a lot…! Don't you love us as well?"</p>
<p>"Chibimamo…" She said slowly while crouching down, "You have no idea how much I love the both of you."</p>
<p>Then, Natsumi-san stared at me, cupped her hands round my face and— and… W-well, it doesn't matter.</p>
<p>…What!? I-I already said before that I'm not blushing…!</p>
<p>"N-Natsumi!" Do-san screamed. She turned and winked at him again.</p>
<p>"And I love you a lot too, 'Do-san.'"</p>
<p>"…You already know we love you, Nats," he said at last, looking down while scratching the nape of his neck.</p>
<p>"Nats? Ha ha! I thought you weren't into nicknames, Do-san!"</p>
<p>Natsumi chuckled.</p>
<p>"Chibimamo, you have yet a lot to discover about your future self."</p>
<p>Do-san's and Natsumi-san's rings shone golden in the evening light.</p>
<hr/>
<p>"Well, maybe some other day. I'd better take him home now, Nats."</p>
<p>"Ah… It's a shame, but I guess it's all right. See you soon, Chibimamo. Hopefully we will get to play soccer together next time."</p>
<p>Natsumi-san smiled at me fondly. …I admit I got quite nervous.</p>
<p>"S-sure, Natsumi-san! You must have become so strong as well…!"</p>
<p>"Don't even dare doubt it! I had no other choice."</p>
<p>"Uh? What do you mean?"</p>
<p>"F-forget it, Endou-chi! And you, Nats, stop confusing him. C'mon, let's go."</p>
<p>"I'm sorry, 'Do-san'~" She crooned.</p>
<p>It seems like Natsumi-san liked the nickname. Well, it does sound great!</p>
<p>"So long!"</p>
<p>"So long, Chibimamo. See you later, Endou-kun."</p>
<p>"…See you later, Natsumi."</p>
<hr/>
<p>We began to walk away.</p>
<p>"'See you later'? What do you mean, 'see you later'? Will you see her again today even if it's this late?"</p>
<p>Do-san became tense.</p>
<p>"A-ah, well, you heard she wanted to talk to me, Endou-chi. Despite what she said, it may be urgent after all, so I'll go talk to her later." He looked at me and half closed his eyes slowly until his gaze turned into a squint. "…I know what you're thinking, and no. I'll go alone."</p>
<p>…Darn it, he knows me so well.</p>
<p>"Hey, Do-san," I said after a while.</p>
<p>"Hm? What's wrong?"</p>
<p>"I just realised we're heading home."</p>
<p>"…You're slow on the uptake, Endou-chi."</p>
<p>"T-that's not it! I mean, Mum and Dad are at home…"</p>
<p>"Sure they are."</p>
<p>"Did you think of what will happen if they see us together?"</p>
<p>"…Oh."</p>
<p>"Exactly."</p>
<p>After all, Mum and Dad weren't used to having two sons.</p>
<hr/>
<p>After a little discussion about who should knock on the door, we agreed that I would do it, since I was the last one mum had seen.</p>
<p>I got closer to the door and knocked on it. My mum, with her hands on her hips and scowling, appeared on the other side.</p>
<p>"Mamoru Endou!" She yelled, furious. I could only shrink and brace myself for the telling-off that was about to come down on me. "May I know what time do you call this to come back home!? Where were you? Why didn't you call, at least? I was really worried!"</p>
<p>"I-I'm sorry, mum, I didn't want to… But Do-san and I ran into—"</p>
<p>"Will you tell me who is this Do-san person now!?" My mum cut me short. I moved away from the entrance slightly to let her see beyond me.</p>
<p>We were both doing exactly the same: scratching the nape of our necks while we looked down. It has always been kind of a reflex action of us when we don't know what to do or say. Mum blinked a couple of times and went up to Do-san. She seemed surprised, but, after looking in his eyes for a few seconds, she went back to scowling and yelling, this time at him.</p>
<p>"May I know what you are thinking of, Mamoru!? What do you think you're doing bringing him home at this time? Do you have any idea how late it is? He should be sleeping by now!"</p>
<p>"S-sorry, Mum! We got talking to Natsumi and—"</p>
<p>"No excuses! Come on, you two, get in!" Mum sighed. "You both are just like your grandfather; your heads are full of air…!"</p>
<p>She pushed us both inside. We couldn't help but smile at how well she was dealing with it.</p>
<hr/>
<p>We sat around the kotatsu at the living room. Dad seemed quite more surprised than Mum.</p>
<p>"Goodness, two Mamorus… Who would have thought this could ever happen."</p>
<p>"Yeah… Pretty weird, huh?" Do-san spluttered.</p>
<p>"Indeed," Dad asserted with his arms crossed as he nodded. "But, son, shouldn't you be home at this hour?" Suddenly, Dad blinked quickly a couple of times, as if he had suddenly remembered something, and held his hand in front of Do-san so he wouldn't reply yet. "Speaking of which, how is your wife? We haven't seen her since the wedding."</p>
<p>"What!?" I asked in a rush. "How come you know Do-san is married?"</p>
<p>"It's obvious, Mamoru, we are his pare— Wait, what do you mean with 'Do-san'?"</p>
<p>"Ah, excuse us. We call ourselves like that in order to not get confused. He calls me Do-san, and I call him Endou-chi."</p>
<p>Mum laughed softly before saying she thought those were such cute nicknames. Dad smiled a little, faint smile before continuing.</p>
<p>"As I was saying, it's only natural we know, Mamoru. We attended the wedding."</p>
<p>"But… aren't you my parents?" I asked. "I mean, you don't seem any older than you did a few days ago, when all of this began…"</p>
<p>"Hm, true," Do-san agreed. "You look younger, now I think about it. How can you know so much?"</p>
<p>"Mamoru, a good mother knows everything about her children, whatever may be their age… or appearance. I'm not surprised that you both exist, as strange as the situation may seem; I'm just surprised to see you two together," Mum said slowly. She came closer and placed herself between us, looking at us one after the other and stroking our faces. She also seemed to want to make sure we were there. "You're my children, remember it… And I love you two madly."</p>
<p>"Mum…" We both say with a broken voice. Mum wrapped her arms around us tenderly and pressed us against her. We nestled up to her shoulders, and we had to wipe off a couple of tears that were streaming down her cheeks.</p>
<p>"My children…"</p>
<p>Mum kissed our foreheads lovingly without letting us go. I don't know how Do-san felt, but rarely have I felt as close to my mother as I did back then. A mother that, for reasons not even her could understand, knew what the both of us had gone through individually. She understood and loved us alike. And it couldn't have been any other way.</p>
<p>Mum is great.</p>
<p>"Atsuko, dear, don't you think we should celebrate it?" Dad smiled. "We don't find out every day that we have two sons."</p>
<p>"Y-you're right, Hiroshi!" Mum replied, already jollier, but still with tears in her eyes. "Kids, I'll cook you the best ramen you have ever tasted!"</p>
<p>"Food~!" Do-san and I shouted happily, although he added something else. I have thought it over out of simple curiosity and, with time, I have come to the conclusion that he probably said 'edible food.'</p>
<hr/>
<p>"Thanks for the food!" We all said as we got ready to eat. But just before we could have the first bite, the phone rang. Do-san stood up.</p>
<p>"Don't worry, mum, I'll answer it. To be honest, I miss this whole 'being at home' feeling a bit... I've been too busy to actually enjoy family life ever since I came back."</p>
<p>Mum laughed.</p>
<p>"Carry on, son; you're home."</p>
<p>He hurried up to answer the phone and, a few seconds later, he rose his voice. It felt as if he couldn't believe it. And, from what I heard, I couldn't either.</p>
<p>"J-jii-chan!?"</p>
<p>I broke into a run towards the entrance right away, since that's where the phone was. Nothing in the world could have removed that smile from my face, let alone from Do-san's, who hadn't seen him in much more time.</p>
<p>"Y-yeah, Grandpa, it's me, Mamoru! … Ah, yeah, my voice… It's a long story, but don't you worry. … You serious!? When? … That's awesome! Mum won't believe it! And I know of someone else who won't either." At that moment, he winked at me. He looked even happier than before. "Uh? N-nothing, nothing, it's just me being dumb! But tell me, how're Rococo and the guys doing? … Really!? That's great! It's time I saw it, yeah! … Oh, boy, that's fantastic, Jii-chan…! … Yeah, sure, right here! We wouldn't want it any other way! … Sure, Jii-chan! You can't even imagine how much you brightened up my day, ha ha! … Of course, of course! I've got plenty to tell you about! … Well, Jii-chan, take care, all right? … Yeah, I love you too, Jii-chan, you know that. … Yes. … Yes, of course. See you soon, Jii-chan."</p>
<p>He hung up and grinned at me like never before.</p>
<p>"Endou-chi, we're expecting someone."</p>
<hr/>
<p>As we thought, Mum couldn't believe it.</p>
<p>"It can't be! Your Grandpa's coming to pay us a visit?"</p>
<p>"Yeah! Ain't it great, Mum?"</p>
<p>"Of course it is; I haven't seen your grandfather for ages! He would have to put on a show like this, wouldn't he… What a man. But I just can't be mad at him! You both are just like him in that sense, children."</p>
<p>We both laughed, proud of resembling Jii-chan in the slightest.</p>
<p>"Oh well, this is yet one more reason to celebrate, isn't it?" Dad said. "Come on, eat up before the ramen gets even colder!"</p>
<p>That night, Mum and Dad smiled like they never did before. We were a happy family.</p>
<hr/>
<p>"What? Are you leaving already, son?"</p>
<p>"Yeah. Tomorrow's gonna be a very special day. And look at the time. Endou-chi should've gone to bed hours ago, although I doubt he'll sleep at all tonight, huh?" He laughed as he winked at me. And he had a point there! "Not to mention she must be worried."</p>
<p>"She? Ah, of course, your wife!" Mum smiled as she put her hands together. It seemed like she was still having a hard time believing it.</p>
<p>"Heh, yeah. I didn't even call her, so she may be wondering where I am."</p>
<p>"Yes, go already, son; you must not make a lady wait like that," dad laughed. To be honest, I felt a bit out of place in that conversation, since I didn't know who in the world they were talking about.</p>
<p>"Hey, Do-san," I asked. "What's so special about tomorrow?"</p>
<p>"Oh, that thing? Tomorrow's the last day of training before the Holy Road begins, Endou-chi." I grinned wide. Gosh, I was just too pumped about the tournament! "We gotta get the guys ready."</p>
<p>"Don't worry, I'll be there on time!"</p>
<p>"Nope. I'm sorry, but you can't come tomorrow."</p>
<p>My poor heart crumbled into a million pieces.</p>
<p>"W-what!? Why? It's a really important day!"</p>
<p>"I know, but there's something else I want you to take care of. If you're willing to do it, that is."</p>
<p>"Of course I am! Tell me!"</p>
<p>"You'll go talk to Haruna tomorrow. I want you to be fully abreast of who our first rivals in the Holy Road will be; at least you'll start growing a coach sense that way."</p>
<p>"Roger! We'll do our best!"</p>
<p>"That's the spirit! Oh, and there's something else."</p>
<p>"What's up?"</p>
<p>"In three days, you'll go to the Ohisama-En and ask for a boy. I want you to test him the same way you tested Raimon today. I'll tell them you'll be going, so don't worry. Don't go easy on him and tell me what you think; you'll be the one who decides whether he can join the team or not. So don't say I don't trust you!"</p>
<p>I nodded, happier than ever before, and I etched on my memory the instructions he gave me. It was time I started feeling useful!</p>
<hr/>
<p>Early in the morning, the doorbell rang. Mum let out a happy shriek when she saw who was there.</p>
<p>"Kanon, dear! Long time no see!"</p>
<p>"Grandma Atsuko~!" He crooned.</p>
<p>I smiled from the kitchen, looking at them as I ate my daily helping of rice balls. Kanon came in a rush to hug me after doing the same with mum and dad.</p>
<p>"Hii-jiichan~!"</p>
<p>"Good morning, Kanon! What brings you here?"</p>
<p>"Ah, nothing special! I just wanted to see if my Great-Grandpa was happy with his gift."</p>
<p>"So much!" I smiled. "Thank you very much, Kanon; it really came in handy."</p>
<p>"If Great-Grandpa is happy, then so am I!"</p>
<p>He squeezed me some more. I offered him some rice balls to see if he calmed down a bit and let go of me.</p>
<p>"Hey, Kanon, I have a question."</p>
<p>"Whaddron, Hee-geeshan?" I suppose he meant to say 'What's wrong, Hii-jiichan?' or something like that, but it was very difficult to understand him with his mouth full.</p>
<p>"How come there's only one Grandma Atsuko and one Grandpa Hiroshi, but they know both Do-san's life and mine separately?"</p>
<p>"Mahddah robb, ganddpa!"</p>
<p>"What?"</p>
<p>He swallowed. At last.</p>
<p>"Mother love!"</p>
<p>"…What do you mean with that?" I said as I wrinkled my nose.</p>
<p>"My time machine can't do anything about love: it can change anything but people's feelings. Adult Grandpa's feelings and goals are different than yours, and that's why there are two of you. But Grandma loves you two no matter how you are, so there's just one! Mother love is unconditional!</p>
<p>"...Wow, Kanon, that's so beautiful. Where did you get that from?" I laughed jokingly.</p>
<p>"From the time machine's instruction booklet," he said with a smile, but very seriously.</p>
<p>Sometimes I just don't know what to think of him.</p>
<p>"Hey, hey! What do you think of the soccer of this period, Hii-jiichan?"</p>
<p>"It's so awesome! Players are incredible, and Keshins look great as well! I wish I had one!"</p>
<p>"Grandpa can achieve whatever he puts his mind on!" Kanon said wholeheartedly, with his hands clenched and grinning wide.</p>
<p>"Thank you so much, Kanon. I'll work hard to meet your expectations!"</p>
<p>"I'll work hard as well~!"</p>
<p>I stopped for a second and then asked:</p>
<p>"Ah, Kanon, one last question. Can you use a Keshin?"</p>
<p>My grandson shook his head sadly.</p>
<p>"No... I'm sorry, Hii-jiichan. I'm sorry I'm not strong..."</p>
<p>"N-no, don't worry about that, it's okay! I can't either, after all...!" I hurried to say, patting his shoulder. "It was just to know if you could tell me about them from a user's point of view, but it's okay if you can't!"</p>
<p>"But, Hii-jiichan, you could always ask Great-Great-Great-Grandpa about that!"</p>
<p>I spat the rice ball I had just put in my mouth.</p>
<p>"D-do you mean that Grandpa can…!?"</p>
<p>Kanon nodded and I grinned like an idiot. What was I surprised for? Grandpa is incredible!</p>
<p>We went on having breakfast while mum looked at us tenderly. Her smile seemed to have become a bit bigger after we began talking about grandpa.</p>
<p>Mum is the best.</p>
<hr/>
<p>"See you soon, Hii-jiichan! Good-bye, Grandma Atsuko, Grandpa Hiroshi! Thank you for the breakfast; it tasted great, as usual!"</p>
<p>"Goodbye, Kanon; come back any time."</p>
<p>The three of us saw him off warmly.</p>
<p>"And you, Mamoru, are you ready?"</p>
<p>"Yes, dad! I will go with Haruna-san right away!"</p>
<p>"Good," mum said. "At least we know you'll be in good hands; Otonashi has always been a lovely girl, and she has become very responsible over the years. But, well, I don't want to spoil anything for you, so it's best to let her be the one to tell you."</p>
<p>"Of course, mum, that's the whole point of all of this!" I answered, grinning wide, kind of trying to mimic those bright smiles I used to see on Do-san's face. "I will come back tonight! Oh, and dad, look for the match on TV; we will have to watch it tomorrow!"</p>
<p>"Don't worry, I will. And now run; they're waiting for you!"</p>
<p>"Sure! Goodbye!"</p>
<p>I broke into a run towards Raimon. There was no time to lose!</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Soccer In Decline! Haru-san's Trust!</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <strong>Chapter 6!</strong>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <strong>Soccer In Decline! Haru-san's Trust!</strong>
  </em>
</p>
<p>It was still very early when I got to Raimon's doors, and even more so taking into account that it was Sunday. The school, with no people walking and running to and fro, looked much bigger than usual, like a room without furniture. It reminded me of that time Mum wanted to rearrange the living room and told Dad and me to take all the furniture out of there so she could think peacefully of where to place it: the empty room looked huge!</p>
<p>By the way, in the end, she left everything exactly the same way it was before.</p>
<p>When I gazed at Raimon's grounds being so empty, without a single person in sight, I realised something very important that I should have thought of before. I was supposed to meet Haruna… but no one had told me where. I prayed Do-san would have at least told her that I would come to see her, and, with a bit of luck, she would come and fetch me herself, because otherwise I would have to go round the school blindly in search of her. Nonetheless, minutes passed and Haruna didn't turn up anywhere. I sighed and gave up. I would have to go and look for her myself.</p>
<p>Where could she be waiting for me? I wondered. Thinking logically, the most obvious place to meet would be at the soccer club, so I started by trying to get my bearings. The school had changed so much that I was afraid I would get lost in there, so, once I made sure I knew where I was at that time, I broke into a run towards the old location of the club, praying it would still be there.</p>
<p>As soon as I skirted round the soccer field and turned left, I let out a sigh of relief: the club room was still in the same place as before. It looked much more worn than the last time I had seen it, but at least it was still there. But, right next to the hut, I could distinguish a shape of something around my height, and I saw from afar that it was wearing the school uniform that belonged to my period's Raimon. Even though it had its back turned, it was impossible to not recognise that messy ginger hair.</p>
<p>"Shishi!" I shouted to attract his attention.</p>
<p>"That voice… Captain?" He said as he turned around with difficulty. Sakichi Shishido, one of my teammates, had been injured not long ago and had been in hospital until recently. He still needed a crutch to walk and his leg seemed to hurt with each step, but that didn't prevent him from grinning from ear to ear when he saw me. "It's fantastic to see you again, captain!"</p>
<p>"I should be saying that, Shishi!" I replied. "I didn't know they let you go out on your own already! How are you? Does it hurt less by now?"</p>
<p>"No worries! It's my first time out, but I've come this far alone, so I ain't doing that bad," he laughed. "Anyway, what… what's supposed to have happened here? Where's our Raimon!?"</p>
<p>"Don't worry; I think you aren't the only one wondering!" I answered with a shaky voice. "You see, you're the first one I tell this to, but… it's Kanon's doing! Our world has been fused with the one from ten years in the future!"</p>
<p>Shishi's face wrinkled. I think he was trying to half-close his eyes, but it was hard to know with such a mop of hair covering his face.</p>
<p>"…I think you're going to have to explain yourself a bit better."</p>
<p>It took me a few minutes to explain everything that had happened during the last days to Shishi: how I came across Do-san, my meeting with Seitei, the argument with Yu-san and, of course, my training with the new Raimon team and all I knew about Keshin. I preferred to not tell him anything about my conversation with Tsurugi nor what Do-san had asked me to do, though, since he seemed to want to keep it a secret.</p>
<p>"Under normal circumstances, I would be unable to believe your words, captain, but, well, I guess the school changing so much in such little time offers no other explanation…" Shishi said in a low voice. "Also, that would explain many things…"</p>
<p>"What things are you talking about, Shishi?" I asked. It surprised me that everything seemed to make sense to him so well despite having been isolated from the world for such a long time.</p>
<p>"Well… It all dates back to when I was in hospital. I wasn't in touch much with what happened around me except for what I saw through the door, but I realised that, from one day to the next, the doctors and nurses that passed by my door changed… or, rather, I should say that many more appeared out of nowhere. And, I don't know, but one of the new nurses really resembled… Fuyuka-san. It might have been my imagination, but, now that you mention it, what if it were really her…?"</p>
<p>"The truth is that I don't know, I haven't seen Fuyuppe yet… But I guess it could be! Also, she has always liked taking care of others, so it seems like the perfect job for her." And after a little pause, I added, "Did you get to hear her voice?"</p>
<p>"No, I didn't, but I can assure you I would have freaked out if it had sounded like her at all before you had told me about this…"</p>
<p>I let out a nervous laugh: I understood him perfectly. Despite Kanon telling me it could happen, I did freak out a lot the first time I saw Do-san.</p>
<p>"Also, today I spotted a woman coming in by the front door and she looked a lot like—"</p>
<p>"Haruna?" I asked before he could finish. Shishi leaned his body backwards in surprise and winced in pain from it.</p>
<p>"…Yes, Haruna-san. How did you know, Captain?"</p>
<p>"Because, uh, you see… w-well, I don't know; it was a hunch, I guess!" I stuttered as I laughed nervously, trying my best to hide the truth. "Did you see where she was headed?"</p>
<p>"Ah… No, I didn't see it. She went in the building and I lost sight of her, but it's happened just a little bit ago. She must still be there! But why do you ask?"</p>
<p>"It's just that I—" I sighed, finally giving up. "…it's Do-san's doing. But I can't really tell you anything yet, I'm sorry…"</p>
<p>Shishi smiled.</p>
<p>"No worries. You have already told me what you haven't told anyone else, and I appreciate that so much. Now I know that the situation is difficult, so do what you must to solve everything; I'm sure that, whatever you do, you'll do it fine. And if you ever need me for anything, count on me, Captain! I promise I'll do everything I can to be worthy of your trust and be useful to you in your fight."</p>
<p>"Shishi…!</p>
<p>I squeezed Shishi between my arms carefully so I wouldn't force him to move and, after a short goodbye, I turned around and broke into a run towards Raimon's main door. In the middle of the run, I turned around again and ran back to Shishi.</p>
<p>"Hey, but what are you doing here at this hour, Shishi? The sun hasn't even risen completely yet!"</p>
<p>"…I-I slunk away from home while my parents were sleeping, all right? They wouldn't let me go out…! I wanted to see the club again after being locked up in the hospital for so long, so I came all the way here. Try and figure what a fright I got when I saw the school looking like this… And take a look at the soccer club."</p>
<p>Shishi moved away from the door and let me look inside myself. Even though the outside of the club room was worn and seemed very old, the inside was just like I remembered it. Some lockers, the odd poster, chairs, a table… Of course, the club's secret room was still there, locked as always. We had already got in there in the past, but we first knew it as 'the club room's mysterious door' and having it always open was too weird for us.</p>
<p>"I wonder why they didn't take better care of the club room… They told me soccer had become very important in this period. It's weird that the soccer club has been so badly preserved, don't you think?"</p>
<p>"In that light, you're right, Captain… By the way, look at this," Shishi said before pointing at something at my feet. I looked down and I bumped into what used to be our soccer club's sign.</p>
<p>That wooden sign kept us company during all of our adventures. It greeted us every day before training while we were playing the Football Frontier; it adorned the Inazuma Caravan and rubbed off the Raimon spirit on all the new players that joined us during the war against the Aliea Academy, and, to top it all, it served us as a good luck charm during the Football Frontier International. But all of that seemed to vanish at once when I saw that the sign was cut in half, from top to bottom. Someone had tried to fix it clumsily, but it was crystal clear that the sign had been seriously damaged.</p>
<p>I scowled. Suddenly, I felt furious. I felt… as if a piece of me had been ripped off, thrown to the mud and stomped on. Who could have done something like that to Raimon's spirit? What was really going on in our team!?</p>
<p>Shishi brought me back to the real world when he placed his hand on my shoulder and came closer to me. I shook my head a bit to buck up and I looked at him.</p>
<p>"You… you won't tell anyone that I came here alone, will you?" He whispered with a worried voice.</p>
<p>"Don't worry," I smiled a bit too forcefully, since the whole sign matter still had me irritated. "I understand how you feel! Being in bed is such a pain…!"</p>
<p>"Yes…" He nodded. "Hey, weren't you in a hurry?"</p>
<p>"Y-you're right!" I exclaimed. "See you later, Shishi!"</p>
<p>"Bye, Captain," he laughed as I strode away.</p>
<hr/>
<p>"HARU-SAAAN! HARU-SAAAAAN!"</p>
<p>My screams echoed across Raimon's corridors and spread through the whole first floor, but no one seemed to be able to hear me. I checked each and every classroom, but there was not a single soul in there. Classrooms were mostly bigger than I remembered and were fuller than before, with plenty of new facilities that I imagined that would be for first and second year students to do their training. It also surprised me to see that the corridor was quite longer than I remembered and that, at the same time, everything had a very similar look to what I already knew. I supposed it would be a matter of the time periods merging and I decided to continue on my way without wondering about an issue that I already knew I wouldn't be able to understand.</p>
<p>I went up the stairs to the second floor in a rush, struggling to not skid on the landing. That brought back memories from the first Football Frontier that Raimon played, during which we would use the school stairs to do special training and improve our stamina. Once I got there, I checked that the second floor was as empty as the first one and I decided to go up to the third without thinking it over.</p>
<p>As soon as I set foot on the first step that lead to the third floor, a shiver went through my whole body, from my feet to the nape of my neck. I was always a bit wary of going up to the floor where the principal's office was, but I never got a feeling as bad as that before. I knew that that would only delay the inevitable, but I went up the stairs very slowly, looking around at each step and trying to catch a glimpse of the third floor's corridor as soon as possible.</p>
<p>No one was in sight.</p>
<p>A bit more relieved, I went up the remaining stairs until I arrived at the third floor and I looked around. There was definitely no one at the corridor, but that strange feeling was still going round my body. Contrary to the rest of the floors, instead of calling Haru-san at the top of my voice and go in every classroom in a rush, I began to walk almost on tiptoe and, first of all, I poked my head round the door and I had a quick look at the only classroom in that floor. Just like all the others, the classroom was bigger than I remembered, but the inside hadn't changed much except for the new class materials.</p>
<p>I sighed nervously and turned around. I had just one place to look at in that floor: the huge principal's office. I walked up to the door and placed my hand on the handle, but I soon regretted it. I let go of the handle, I stepped back slowly and I decided to take a look at the rooftop of the fourth floor first. I went up in next to no time, but the only thing I found there was the sky, a bit brighter already. I gave up and I went down to the third floor again as slowly as I had went up to it before.</p>
<p>Before doing anything, I eavesdropped on the office's door. It was really thick and it wouldn't let me hear properly what was going on on the other side, but it was clear that there were people talking in there. Without thinking about it any further, I gulped, I grabbed the handle and I opened the door without even knocking. Everyone there turned their attention to the entrance as soon as they heard the door opening.</p>
<p>My eyes travelled across the room. Right in front of the principal's desk, a woman barely ten centimetres taller than me, of rosy skin and shoulder-length dark blue hair, was looking at me open-mouthed. She was wearing a pair of horn-rimmed, big, red glasses on her forehead, almost as if they were just another accessory instead of something to see better.</p>
<p>"Haru-san!"</p>
<p>"E-Endou-kun…!" She exclaimed, her greenish eyes wide open.</p>
<p>I grinned wide for a second as I recognised my friend Haruna Otonashi's adult self, but my smile vanished as soon as I saw the man who was standing on the other side of the desk.</p>
<p>It was a man of coarse and marked features, but one could tell from his nervous gaze and his expression of panic that he was actually little more than the lapdog of whoever his boss was: his eyes, little, baggy and full of long inferior eyelashes, still showed the same lack of resolve they did the last time I saw him. He was hollow-cheeked and pale, was wearing old-fashioned glasses and a cheap brown suit and had short hair except for his pompous fringe shaped like cotton candy. Ten years had passed, but he hadn't changed at all except for the fact that his hair had become grey. Suguru Fuyukai was still the same traitor that, during our first Football Frontier, was under Kageyama's orders and tried at all costs to prevent us from arriving at the match against the Teikoku Academy despite being our coach, and he didn't mind putting us at great risk in order to do so. Had it not been for Natsumi-chan's wit, none of us would have lived to talk about it…</p>
<p>"W-w-what are you doing here…!?" Fuyukai snorted, panic-stricken. "You… Not you again! Not two of you!"</p>
<p>"The question here is what are you doing here again!" I shouted. "Raimon-san kicked you out after you tried to kill us all!"</p>
<p>"How… dare you? R-respect your elders, boy!" He replied, as cowardly as usual. Next, he pushed his glasses up in a useless attempt to hide his fear. "Also, the… the orders of Souichirou Raimon are not valid here any more… If Fifth Sector requests my services, I will go without hesitation. And… mind your own business, brat!"</p>
<p>"Don't get carried away from what a kid tells you, Fuyukai-san," said the man who was right next to Fuyukai, sitting on the principal's chair.</p>
<p>As hard as I tried, I couldn't recall if I had already seen him or not. It was a chubby man, of long, white hair. He had big eye bags, a huge nose and very marked wrinkles all over his face. He was wearing a yellow jacket and a blue shirt, and he wouldn't stop caressing one of those shaggy white cats with evil eyes, as if he were a classical film villain.</p>
<p>"B-but, Kyouzou-san, there… there are two of them! Two!"</p>
<p>"We already knew this could happen. It has happened before, and it will likely happen again. Society as a whole has had to reorganise itself ever since 'this' happened."</p>
<p>"Reorganise?" I asked. "Is that why Raimon-san isn't here?"</p>
<p>"Indeed. My name is Kinzan Kyouzou, boy, and I'm Raimon's new principal by express instruction from Seitei. Souichirou Raimon was expelled from this post long ago."</p>
<p>"But it's his school! You can't just expel him! …And even less so my period's Raimon-san!"</p>
<p>"He does not exist," Kyouzou replied.</p>
<p>"What do you mean… he doesn't exist?"</p>
<p>"Exactly what you heard. We looked for the Souichirou Raimon that you know as soon as we were aware of the situation the world was in, but we couldn't find him. We only have record of the one from our period existing. Who would be your principal is simply not here anymore."</p>
<p>Could this have anything to do with Raimon-san's feelings as well? I wondered, crossing my arms.</p>
<p>"I-I bet it's all this brat's fault!" Fuyukai finally shouted. "Speak up, Endou; I'm sure you know something!"</p>
<p>"I won't tell anything to someone like y—!" I tried to say, but Haru-san slid to where I was and covered my mouth with both of her hands. I was surprised by the fact that neither I saw her coming closer nor I felt she was behind me until the very moment she grabbed me. Even today I still don't know for a fact, but I'm sure she obtained such physical ability from playing soccer with us!</p>
<p>"Ex… excuse him, Kyouzou-san, Fuyukai-san. You know Endou-kun; he is just a kid that doesn't know what he is saying. Please, don't take his words into account…" Haru-san begged as she bowed and pushed my head down so I would mimic her.</p>
<p>"Let go of me and let me face them!" I pleaded in a low voice.</p>
<p>"I understand how you feel, I really do, but the only thing we can do by now is try to get out of here as soon as possible. Humour me and we will be out of this place before you realise it!" She whispered in my ear. I nodded grudgingly and I bowed myself.</p>
<p>"We understand, Otonashi-san; we know on good authority how Mamoru Endou's personality is. We'll let it go this time, but may it never happen again. You have been warned, boy."</p>
<p>"He won't do it again!" Haru-san hurried to say. "Right, Endou-kun?"</p>
<p>"N-no… I'm so sorry," I muttered.</p>
<p>"Splendid. You can leave, then. As long as you have understood what your orders are, Otonashi-san."</p>
<p>"Of course, sir. I will take charge of it."</p>
<p>"All right, then. …Keep an eye on the boy."</p>
<p>"I… I will. Worry not."</p>
<p>Haru-san pushed me towards the door, forced me to bow at Raimon's new principals again and dragged me out of the office. The cat saw us out with a long and high-handed meow.</p>
<hr/>
<p>"Endou-kun!" Haru-san shouted at me angrily as soon as she put me into the free class of that floor and closed the door after her. She put her arms akimbo, tilted her body forwards until her eyes were at the same height as mine and held my gaze firmly. "May I know what you were thinking about? Who in their right mind would burst into the principal's office without as much as knocking and, on top of that, start shouting like crazy? Don't you have an ounce of common sense!?"</p>
<p>"I-I'm so sorry! It's just that seeing that traitor of Fuyukai putting on airs as if he thought he's better than everyone else…" I growled. "Gets on my nerves!"</p>
<p>"Let it be. We can't do anything about it," she sighed, already standing up straight again.</p>
<p>"I guess not… But, hey, Haru-san, doesn't it surprise you to see me so, well… young?" I asked to change the subject and, while I was at it, to calm myself down a bit.</p>
<p>"…Truth be told, you surprised me a lot when you came in, but I'm starting to get used to seeing faces from the past," she smiled. "Anyway, seeing you again like this after so many years is… like feeling a breeze on my skin that hadn't blown in such a long time. I really missed it, to be honest," she said in a relaxed and tender voice.</p>
<p>"To me… it feels weird that you all have changed so much, you know? I have seen many things that I would have never expected to see. And not all of them are good…" I sighed.</p>
<p>"Come on, cheer up!" She smiled. "After all, if you aren't positive, then who will be? We all need you to shelter us and give us the strength to keep going."</p>
<p>"'Shelter' you? What does that mean?"</p>
<p>"Well…" She hesitated, placing a finger on her chin as she thought. "I never told you when we were young, and probably no one else did, either, but… the face you make when you try to defend what you believe in makes me feel that everything will be all right in the end, that problems will be solved. That's your gift, Endou-kun: you know how to make the people around you feel secure."</p>
<p>"But for that, you already have… him, right?" I asked, looking down to hide my worry. "I'm starting to feel that, if he is here, no one will need me for anything any more."</p>
<p>"I guarantee that's not true," she replied very sharply. "You have changed a lot during these years, Endou-kun. The face you have nowadays is… different. Your eyes don't tell me any more that everything will be all right; they tell me that it's us who must make things improve, that we must overcome those who control us. Your adult self's eyes are those of a warrior, but, truth be told… I think your gaze, that reassuring gaze, is just what we needed to get over this rough patch and to decide on fighting for what we believe is right."</p>
<p>"Haru-san…" I whispered, trying to not blush. Ever since Kanon mixed our worlds, no one had told me I could really be useful. I looked up, clenched my fists and grinned. "Don't worry! I know we're at a pinch, but I promise I will do whatever I can to help you all!"</p>
<p>"Thank you so much, Endou-kun," she said, smiling back. "I only hope that all the responsibility won't lie on you again; it's a bad habit we should try to avoid. And, even though, I believe you could be the key to bring everything back to normal."</p>
<p>"…I think you're the only one who thinks that way," I sighed as I scratched my head. "All the people I have talked to told me to not get involved, that I can't do anything and that it has nothing to do with me. They treat me as if I were worth nothing!"</p>
<p>Haru-san shook her head slowly and smiled.</p>
<p>"You're wrong; that's not the problem. Like it or not, both you and us are involved in this and the problem concerns us all, as much as we would want to avoid it. We know you could be of great help—just as always!—but the problem is that you shouldn't be who solves everything this time."</p>
<p>"What do you mean?" I asked, somewhat lost.</p>
<p>"I mean that you've done too much already. You saved us so many times in the past that I can't even count them all; we can't ask you to do it again, and even more so when you shouldn't even be here. If people don't want to ask for your help is because, deep inside, they believe it's not a problem you must solve."</p>
<p>"Then, why do you say I'm the key to fix everything? If there's nothing I can do, how am I supposed to help?"</p>
<p>"Endou-kun… You have still got so much to learn, even about yourself. Tell me, why are you here right now? What brought you to Raimon?"</p>
<p>"Well… Do-san asked me to come. Is that what you mean?"</p>
<p>"Ah, yes… He told me about that nickname, and he did warn me that I would probably get one too," Haru-san said, unable to avoid letting a guffaw out. "And yes, that's exactly it. He asked you to talk to me, didn't he?"</p>
<p>I nodded without taking my eyes off her.</p>
<p>"He could have kept you out of everything and taken care of the problem himself, but, instead, he's chosen to ask you to talk to me. What do you think that means?"</p>
<p>"He wanted me to find out about the problem, I guess…"</p>
<p>"Exactly. And if he wants you to understand the situation is because he trusts you to help him fix it. Truth be told, you couldn't do absolutely anything to help us at the moment: I'm sorry to say it, but this is much for you to do alone. But he knows you better than anyone, and he knows how to take what he needs off you: right now, he is educating you so you will evolve again and turn into the Endou-kun we need at the moment. It's not about becoming stronger this time, though, but about maturing in every sense. We need a little man to guide us outside the game field, too."</p>
<p>"I had never seen it like that…" I said in a low voice, still trying to understand it all.</p>
<p>"That's why you're such a good coach, Endou-kun. You can see in people what others can't."</p>
<p>That was the first time I wished to be like Do-san one day. Grandpa and him are just alike.</p>
<p>"…I can't. Only Do-san can do that."</p>
<p>"But, Endou-kun, you two are—"</p>
<p>"No," I said sharply. "He… is different. That's who I will be, not who I am right now. But I won't get left behind, I assure you! I'll show him that, even if I'm young, I can fight, too!"</p>
<p>Haru-san smiled at me sweetly as she looked at me with pleased eyes.</p>
<p>"That's the Endou-kun I remember."</p>
<p>She turned around, opened the door again and moved away.</p>
<p>"Let's get out of here. I must keep the promise I made to En—" She cut herself short and, after a short pause, she slowly said, "…Say, would you mind it if I just called you 'Mamoru-kun'? It's pretty confusing to distinguish the two of you if I call you the same," she said as she let out a nervous giggle.</p>
<p>"Of course not! Why do you think I call you Haru-san?"</p>
<p>"Oh, is that so? I hadn't thought about that, really… But it's a nice strategy. You may have a pretty good hold on this whole mixed periods thing, after all!" She said happily as she winked at me. "Come on, let's go to the soccer club. We will be able to talk more at will there."</p>
<p>I went out of the classroom without really daring to ask and Haru-san went out after me. She closed the door carefully and ordered me with a gesture to not make a sound until we had left the building.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Once in the street, Haru-san turned right and kept on walking, slowing down the pace. The danger of being heard was over, and she seemed much calmer.</p>
<p>"Shishi is gone…" I said when we managed to see the soccer club room.</p>
<p>"Shishi?" She asked. "Oh, you mean Shishido-kun? But I had been told he was in hospital because of an injury…"</p>
<p>"Yes, he was, but he's out already. You know how tough the guys are; nothing can get by them!" I laughed. "It looks like he missed Raimon and he has dropped by very early to see it again without coming across anyone, but just imagine the look on his face when he saw such a change…!"</p>
<p>"Poor thing… What a hard time he must have gone through!"</p>
<p>"He has! But I told him about everything and he seemed to understand… Partially, at least. To be honest, something seemed to make more sense to him after the explanation, and, in fact, it was him who told me he thought he had seen you going into Raimon. At first, he thought it was just someone who looked like you, but, well, bearing what I told him in mind…"</p>
<p>"We can't blame him for being sceptic, Mamoru-kun; we would have thought the same. It's strange even for those of us who have seen and lived it since the very first day, so just imagine how it must feel to go out into the world again and see that everything has changed in a flash. If only we knew what caused the change…"</p>
<p>At that moment, I decided to not tell anyone that the cause of all that was Kanon and his will to help me train; it would have sounded very selfish… It would be better to let Do-san choose who should know all the truth and who shouldn't.</p>
<p>"…Speaking of which, what were you doing at the principal's office at such hours, Haru-san?" I said, just to divert the conversation into another direction.</p>
<p>"Oh, didn't I tell you yet? My fault, sorry!" She said with a nervous chuckle. "It's just that, now that we have to deal with the period mixing and the overwhelming quantity of students, Kyouzou-san has had to make changes in the school distribution. He called me tell me about my new post: now I'm in charge of your period's third year class. I'm going to be your teacher, Mamoru-kun!"</p>
<p>"Y-you WHAT!?" I screamed, making Haru-san flinch.</p>
<p>"Are… are you not okay with me being your teacher?" She said in a sad voice, as if I had just hurt her right to the bottom of her heart.</p>
<p>"N-no, it's not that, Haru-san, really…!" I stuttered, waving my hands around to let her know that she got it all wrong. "It's just that, w-well… I didn't know you were a teacher, so I wasn't expecting it! It was a surprise, that's all…"</p>
<p>"Had no one told you anything about me or what?"</p>
<p>"Well, uh, now that you mention it…"</p>
<p>Haru-san snorted, clearly upset.</p>
<p>"Although, if it makes you feel better, I barely know anything about anyone…! The truth is that Do-san refuses to tell me much at all. But, why a teacher… if I may ask?"</p>
<p>"Because it was the only way to stay in touch with the team," she replied in a soft voice. "Thanks to my brother and you, I ended up loving soccer almost as much as you two do, and it made me sad to think that I would have to end up giving up on it after leaving Raimon. That's why, during my second year, the day of your graduation, I decided that I would become a teacher at Raimon and that I would always be close to the soccer club, no matter what I did. I guess that, deep inside, I wanted to become the club's tutor to keep feeling that atmosphere and to relive all the excitement that watching you guys play had lit in me. I tried hard to achieve my dreams, and, you see, now I'm the team's tactical advisor!" She grinned happily.</p>
<p>I returned the smile enthusiastically; the truth is that, even if I didn't really understand why anyone in their right mind would want to become a teacher, I was happy to know that Haru-san had fulfilled her dreams, just like I would do.</p>
<p>She stopped in front of the club's door and she stood looking at the old and cracked sign that was hanging on the wall again, probably due to Shishi having put it in its place again. She stroked the sign and smiled a little, faint smile.</p>
<p>"Who did that to the sign?" I asked slowly.</p>
<p>"It was Tsurugi-kun, the same day he arrived at the Junior High."</p>
<p>"…Tsurugi? But why? He loves soccer, though!"</p>
<p>"No, Mamoru-kun. Tsurugi-kun despises soccer, and that's why he is here. He's a SEED, an envoy from Fifth Sector, and his job is to make sure Seitei's orders are obeyed. If we don't comply with what we are told, Tsurugi-kun will destroy our club; that is his job."</p>
<p>"I refuse to believe that!" I firmly assured. "I have played against him, I have felt what he feels, and I'm sure that he doesn't hate soccer at all!"</p>
<p>"Mamoru-kun… You're still the same as always," she smiled. "Okay; I trust you. I can't promise I won't be scared if he tries to do something bad, but… I'll try to remember your words."</p>
<p>"You won't regret it, I assure you! I know he can seem very surly at first sight, but the ball never lies, and his shot made it clear to me that there's a burning passion towards soccer inside of him. Whatever it is that's making him act like this, it will soon disappear and it will let him be like he really wants to be. The Goddess of Victory guides the fighting hearts and helps them find the way towards the truth!"</p>
<p>"Yes… You're right. I don't know how, but we'll get through this. We always do, don't we?"</p>
<p>I nodded happily and I placed my hand on the door's handle.</p>
<p>"Hmm? Do you need to pick anything up from there?" Haru-san asked.</p>
<p>"Uh? Weren't we going to the soccer club?" I replied, disconcerted.</p>
<p>"And that's where we're headed, Mamoru-kun," she said, a bit surprised. Suddenly, she blinked a couple of times and smiled a little, faint smile. "I guess no one has told you, right? Before the worlds got mixed, this room was just here as a relic, as a memento of Raimon's old team. Seeing as the inside has been left intact after that incident, though, Kyouzou-san has set aside this room so your Raimon will still have a place where to meet and train, but nowadays' Raimon has a new club."</p>
<p>"Is there a new club? The other day I trained with the rest of the guys and I didn't see it, though…"</p>
<p>"Didn't you? It surprises me, truth be told, but, well, it doesn't matter. Come on, I'll show you; you definitely can't miss it!"</p>
<p>I let go of the handle and I followed Haru-san's steps, who had already started walking.</p>
<hr/>
<p>"Here it is."</p>
<p>The huge building where days before I had showered with Do-san's Raimon's guys stood before me. I watched it thoroughly as I walked up the stairs that lead to the main door.</p>
<p>It was placed right behind Raimon's main building and, in fact, a bridge linked both structures. It looked like a semicircle pinned to the floor, and a huge set of windows shaped like a rainbow followed the building's framework, taking up a huge part of the front wall. The main door was made of glass, too, and two huge columns spread from its sides to the top of the building. Between the columns and a few meters over the door, an immense lightning mark reflected the sunbeams, shining brightly.</p>
<p>"So the club's inside here, after all… What else is there inside?"</p>
<p>Haru-san chuckled.</p>
<p>"I think you got it wrong, Mamoru-kun. This whole building is the soccer club."</p>
<p>"…This mountain is just for the soccer club!?" I shouted after a while, astonished.</p>
<p>"That's it," she answered calmly. "Come inside. I'll explain everything to you there; I promise."</p>
<p>"No… no more secrets?"</p>
<p>"No more secrets. That's what coach Endou wanted."</p>
<p>"All right."</p>
<hr/>
<p>Haru-san guided me inside the building to the club's main room. It was a huge room that sunk down through stairs. To both sides of the stairs there was a large amount of tables and chairs facing the front, probably placed like that so the club members would sit there to talk about and discuss team matters. There was a circular landing at the end of the room, and a big TV screen could be seen on the opposite wall to the door. The entrance was surrounded by plant pots, and all over the room there were flags, trophies and such things as mementos of the team's past victories.</p>
<p>"Welcome to the real core of the soccer club, Mamoru-kun! Please take a seat."</p>
<p>After saying that, Haru-san walked down the stairs to the circular landing as I sat down on the first row. Now that I knew she would be my teacher, it seemed like some sort of foretaste to what my classes would be from then on, but I chose to not say anything.</p>
<p>"I want you to see something."</p>
<p>Haru-san turned on the screen and a video appeared on it instantly. An off voice that introduced itself as Ayumu Kakeru was commentating on a match. From what he said, I could guess that it was a Raimon match.</p>
<p>"This is the first match Raimon played this year, just a few days ago. Our rival was the Eito Academy, a team that was on a good run of recent wins. Pay attention."</p>
<p>Raimon took the field. The only players of the team were those eleven on the grass: there wasn't a single reserve.</p>
<p>"Where is Tsurugi?" I asked after taking a close look on all the members of Raimon.</p>
<p>"He doesn't play. He's a SEED; we couldn't risk ourselves to be betrayed by him without prior warning."</p>
<p>I scowled, but I didn't say anything.</p>
<p>The match started with Raimon's kick-off. Norihito Kurama and Atsushi Minamisawa brought the ball up, but they soon passed back to Taku-taku. He passed the ball again to Kai-kai, who immediately gave it back to Minamisawa.</p>
<p>Minamisawa ran towards the rival goal. One of the forwards collared him and slid towards him, but Minamisawa jumped over him and kept on running. Shortly after, a defender stood on his way. Raimon's forward seemed to hesitate for a second.</p>
<p>The rival defender surrounded his right eye with his index finger and thumb, as if he were trying to mimic a monocle. He fixed his eyes on the ball without stopping and began to seemingly analyse it carefully.</p>
<p>"Thief Eye!" He exclaimed. In a second, he got by Minamisawa and took the ball easily from him. I leant over the table to watch the screen better: no matter how much I thought about it, I didn't seem to have seen any sort of opposition from Minamisawa's side to avoid getting the ball stolen.</p>
<p>The match continued, and draws and dribbles kept happening one after the other. It looked like an exciting match, but something was off: many of Eito's plays seemed very simple and easy to counter, but they still managed to stand up to Raimon. Something didn't make sense.</p>
<p>A moment came when Taku-taku was ringed by a defender and decided to pass the ball to Kurama. Kurama broke into a run forwards, but, soon, a rival midfielder stole the ball from him like taking candy from a baby. Again, it seemed like Raimon weren't making any kind of effort to stand up to Eito.</p>
<p>The ball was still in play, and none of the teams seemed to be able to get near the other's goal. Taku-taku asked Kai-kai for the ball, but one of Eito's players stole the pass without any trouble. For the umpteenth time, it seemed like Raimon weren't focused on the match.</p>
<p>Eito got through Raimon's defence in an instant and stood in front of the goal.</p>
<p>One of the forwards looked at Raimon's goal across a rectangle he had made with both hands' index finger and thumb.</p>
<p>"Perfect Course!" He shouted. Suddenly, a path made of silhouettes shaped like balls that went from the forward's foot to one of the goalmouth's corners appeared. When he shot, the ball followed that trail perfectly and headed at full speed towards the goal. Nonetheless, it was a very weak shot; Son Goku wouldn't struggle at all to stop it.</p>
<p>Just like he did when he played against me, Son Goku got ready to use his Burning Catch. He grabbed the ball without a problem, but… he didn't stop it. Not because he couldn't, but because he didn't want to; I'm sure. He let go of the ball and it went into the net, opening the score in favour of Eito.</p>
<p>Son Goku shut his eyes tight and began to tremble, like any goalkeeper would after letting a goal in. But, for the first time ever since the match started, he didn't seem like he was acting.</p>
<p>"You can see it, right?" Haru-san asked after pausing the video. "Can you see all the suffering in Sangoku-kun's eyes?"</p>
<p>"Of course I do! But why did he let such a weak shot in? Does he intend to make the team lose or what!?"</p>
<p>"He doesn't want to, but he must. Such were Fifth Sector's orders."</p>
<p>"What do you mean with orders…?"</p>
<p>Haru-san resumed the video and turned to watch it as well.</p>
<p>The whole Raimon team looked so down except for Matsukaze and Nishizono.</p>
<p>The match resumed with Raimon's kick-off. Minamisawa kicked off to Kurama, and he passed the ball to Hayami, who lost it immediately without as much as batting an eyelid. Matsukaze ran to the midfielder who had the ball, but he couldn't stop him. Even though, for the first time in the match, it looked to me like he was indeed willing to face up to his rival. The Eito player knocked the ball into the centre towards the forward who had scored the first goal, but Nishizono blocked the pass by jumping. He passed the ball to Taku-taku, but he lost it in a matter of seconds against another Thief Eye.</p>
<p>The ball, in Eito's possession, arrived at Raimon's goal again, and the rival forward charged his Perfect Course again. Once more, Son Goku moved his hand away before his Burning Catch could fully stop the ball and he let a second goal in.</p>
<p>Son Goku seemed totally broken. Amagi was trying to cheer him up, but it didn't seem to be working at all.</p>
<p>Raimon kept trying to attack, but all of its plays were easily stopped. They let them steal the ball and they didn't even bother dribbling. And, so, the first half ended.</p>
<p>"But why won't they stand up to them!? Eito's plays are a joke! I have seen the guys in action and they could score as many goals as they wanted against them!" I said, making the most of the half-time.</p>
<p>"Please understand; they're just trying to save their soccer."</p>
<p>"What do you mean with that?" I asked.</p>
<p>"I think it's about time someone explains everything to you," Haru-san said with a sigh. "Everything started with you and Inazuma Japan, Mamoru-kun. Ten years ago, your victory before the world inspired the whole country, and soccer began to become more and more important inside Japan and its society. But what started off as an innocent passion towards sports ended up escalating to much higher levels than we ever thought possible. Soccer's popularity grew to the point where the power and strength of the soccer team ended up being what determined the social reputation of the school it belonged to. Nowadays, the stronger the soccer team is, the more prestigious the school becomes; and, the same way, the weaker it is, the deeper the school falls. It may seem like madness to you, but what defines the value of schools and people nowadays is nothing but soccer."</p>
<p>"T-that's horrible…!" I exclaimed, leaning over the table again. "Soccer should never be a reason to despise people!"</p>
<p>"I know, Mamoru-kun, but that's how it is. This is the corrupt soccer that prevails nowadays."</p>
<p>"But that's not fair! What happens if a school doesn't win matches or if its players don't improve as much as expected? You can't shut a school down just because its soccer team is weak!"</p>
<p>"That's exactly why a soccer managing syndicate was created: to offer a salvation against this problem. This organization is known as Fifth Sector."</p>
<p>"Then, does that mean Fifth Sector is… good?"</p>
<p>"Not at all," a deep voice said from behind me.</p>
<p>I turned towards the entrance. There, the doors were closing automatically after a tall man in his forties. He had a messy pale violet hair, and a big lock was covering the left side of his face. Even though he now wore a little moustache, Michiya Kudou, Japan's young national team's coach, had barely changed in ten years.</p>
<p>"Coach Kudou!" I exclaimed when I saw him. He walked down the stairs that kept him away from Haru-san, gave her a little folder and placed himself by her side, without as much as replying to me. Haru-san bowed briefly when she saw him and they both looked at me again.</p>
<p>"They manipulate the scores at will with the excuse that they are keeping order," Kudou-san continued. "Of course, a severe punishment awaits those who dare contradict its will or retaliate."</p>
<p>"I want you to finish watching the video, Mamoru-kun," Haru-san said without giving further explanations. She set the recording in motion again and the referee whistled for the beginning of the second half. Eito kicked off and all the players started moving… except for Matsukaze.</p>
<p>Despite all, the match stayed even. Eito's players launched themselves at Matsukaze, but he would still not react.</p>
<p>"What's wrong with him? Why won't he move?" I asked. "He seemed really pumped before…"</p>
<p>"During the half-time of that match… Tenma-kun found out the truth about nowadays' soccer, the same way you are doing today," Haru-san replied in a sad voice. "Just like you, Tenma-kun didn't want to accept it, either. He said that it was wrong, that it was not soccer and that true soccer was… crying."</p>
<p>"Crying, huh…?" I whispered, crossing my arms. "Yes. Definitely, true soccer can't possibly see this with good eyes!"</p>
<p>I looked at the screen again. After beating Matsukaze, the ball went to the rival forward for the third time. The same hissatsus, the same result: Raimon let in its third goal without doing anything to avoid it. And, despite that, all of them looked so depressed and sad… Just seeing the guys like that hurt me in the deepest.</p>
<p>The match resumed, and Eito kept on leading the game effortlessly. Matsukaze was shaking like a leaf, as if he were full of rage. Suddenly, he broke into a run at full speed towards the rival player who had the ball at the moment and stole it from him in the blink of an eye. After that, he passed the ball to Taku-taku, but he didn't make any effort to receive the pass and it didn't get to link with him. The ball ended up in Eito's possession again.</p>
<p>Matsukaze ran towards the player who kept the ball and managed to steal it once more to pass it to Taku-taku again, but the result was the same: his captain wouldn't move a muscle. From then on, the match changed and turned into a fight between Eito and Matsukaze, who wouldn't stop stealing the ball and passing it to Taku-taku over and over again, unconditionally, even if the latter wouldn't move a finger to get those balls. To be honest, I… I felt really proud when I thought that, someday, I would be Matsukaze's coach. You don't see such spirit, such trust in their teammates and such love towards soccer every day!</p>
<p>Despite all, though, Matsukaze was exhausted. Playing alone against eleven rivals was too much for anyone, and a moment came when he couldn't keep on playing any more. That was when Nishizono, probably moved by Matsukaze's efforts, joined the offence all of a sudden and blocked one of Eito's passes by jumping. He rushed to pass the ball to Matsukaze again and, by a precise pass, the latter sent the ball again to Taku-taku. However, unlike the previous times, Taku-taku looked at the ball. He stared at it as it got closer to him and, by reflex, as if he were going with the flow of what his heart asked him to do, he kicked the ball in the air and he met the cross from there.</p>
<p>The shot was heading at full speed towards Eito's goal. Its goalkeeper hung himself from the crossbar, he boosted himself with his legs and climbed up to the top of the bar, standing on his arms with his legs aiming at the sky. From there, he swung again and, finally, he leapt on the ball that was getting closer.</p>
<p>"Moonsault Stamp!" He shouted as he hit the ball with his feet from above, trying to block the shot using the momentum of his acrobatics to fall on it with great force. But, luckily, he didn't succeed, and the ball ended up running over the goalkeeper and going into the goal.</p>
<p>"We scored! We finally scored!" I shouted happily at the same time the speaker did. Haru-san and coach Kudou, on the other hand, didn't seem very joyful.</p>
<p>The referee whistled for the end of the match: Raimon had lost 3-1 against the Eito Academy.</p>
<p>"Well, at least everything worked out all right in the end!" I said smiling. "We finally got to score a goal!"</p>
<p>"Yes… I did think you would say that," Haru-san said. "But it's not as easy as that, Mamoru-kun. As we told you, Fifth Sector manages the scores of the matches."</p>
<p>"W-what? Even this one!? Wasn't it a friendly match?"</p>
<p>"Every single match counts when it comes to improving or worsening a school's reputation, be them friendly or tournament matches. And we were supposed to lose this match three nil."</p>
<p>"Then, is that why the guys weren't moving and kept losing the ball on purpose?"</p>
<p>"That's it. They were just trying to fulfil the orders they were given so they wouldn't t take away from them the soccer they love so much."</p>
<p>"And don't they want to fix that? Don't they want to play real soccer?"</p>
<p>"Of course they want to! They wish they could give their best in every match like we did before, but that isn't possible. There are certain matches where they are allowed to play freely, but, otherwise… they must comply with the orders."</p>
<p>"Well, but it's okay, isn't it? They lost in the end! And look at the three goals they scored… Even a baby could have stopped those lousy shots!"</p>
<p>"You don't understand. Losing is not enough. We were not supposed to score a single goal."</p>
<p>"'A severe punishment awaits those who dare contradict Fifth Sector's will,'" coach Kudou repeated. "However minor the difference may be, a result other than that stipulated is a revolt. And someone must pay for the consequences."</p>
<p>I gulped. Everything made sense all of a sudden.</p>
<p>"Then, you, coach… Did you have to leave the team because of Fifth Sector?" I stuttered. "Did you sacrifice yourself so the team wouldn't suffer…?"</p>
<p>"Nothing could be further. Kyouzou had been looking for a way to get rid of me for a while, and he saw a perfect chance to do so in that result. He forced me to assume responsibilities for that goal and he kicked me out of the team, but what he didn't know is that we had already foreseen that much. My work at Raimon was already over. And if I managed to give at least one of the kids the courage to face up to Fifth Sector and feel the real soccer on his own flesh again, then everything was worth it. Now it's up to you, and I don't regret leaving you in charge, Endou. I know you'll do fine," he said, smiling a very little faint smile.</p>
<p>"Tha… thank you very much, Coach!" I exclaimed, bolt upright. "I promise that, when it's my turn to guide Raimon, I'll do my very best!"</p>
<p>Coach Kudou nodded and turned to Haru-san.</p>
<p>"There you have what you asked for, Otonashi. And you, Endou," he said, turning towards me again, "make us feel proud of having you around us."</p>
<p>"Yes, Coach!"</p>
<p>Without speaking another word, Kudou-san linked his hands behind his back and went out of the room. I turned my eyes towards Haru-san, who was opening the folder that the coach had given her right when he came in. She took out the papers that were inside and placed them on the table.</p>
<p>"Take a close look, Mamoru-kun: this is all the available data about the first team we will have to play against in the Holy Road."</p>
<p>"'Ten-ga-wara'…" I read on one of the papers. "I imagine that's the team's name, right?"</p>
<p>"That's it. Kudou-san brought us as much data as he could find about the players and their way to play. Endou-kun wanted you to see it and think of a way to tackle them."</p>
<p>"Yes, I know, but…" I said with a wry face, scratching the nape of my neck as I looked at the papers, "I don't know what he wants me to do with all of this, to be honest…"</p>
<p>At that moment, I recalled what Do-san had told me. His plan was to make me develop my 'coach instinct,' but, what did that mean? To think about how to beat them? But I wasn't even going to play!</p>
<p>…Right?</p>
<p>I looked intently at the player cards. The information was much scarcer than what we used to get at Raimon and Inazuma Japan.</p>
<p>"Fifth Sector jealously guards all data regarding teams and its players," Haru-san explained. "It's almost impossible to find information about a rival unless you're siding with them. Kudou-san has made everything possible to bring us this, Mamoru-kun: let's make the most of it."</p>
<p>"Y-yes…" I said, not very convinced.</p>
<p>I checked the player cards one by one. When I reached the number 6's card, a guy called Hideki Hayabusa, the only thing known about him was his name, his position in the field and his look. The rest of the card was totally blank.</p>
<p>"What… what is this?"</p>
<p>Haru-san looked at the paper and scowled slightly.</p>
<p>"Think, Mamoru-kun: compared to the rest of the players, the information we have about this boy is much scarcer. What do you think is the reason?"</p>
<p>"Well… It may be more difficult to find information about him, for some reason!"</p>
<p>"For example?"</p>
<p>"Uh… I guess he could be a new member of the team…"</p>
<p>"That doesn't matter. Fifth Sector analyses every single player from every team in the country, sometimes even before they join the school team: not knowing what they are confronting isn't an option for them."</p>
<p>"Then… Could it be that Fifth Sector has hidden the information about—" I averted my gaze towards the paper for a second to read the boy's name again, "…Hayabusa for some specific reason?"</p>
<p>"Maybe. But why would they hide the information about a single person so meticulously?" Haru-san asked again as she came a bit closer to me, as if she was eager to hear my answer.</p>
<p>"Because… they don't want something about him to be known, right?" I said, not totally sure.</p>
<p>"And what could that be?"</p>
<p>I looked at Haru-san out of the corner of my eyes and I rose my eyebrows.</p>
<p>"…You already know the reason, don't you?"</p>
<p>She stared at me for a second, but she ended up not being able to muffle a dumb smile.</p>
<p>"Is it that obvious?" She said after letting out a nervous chuckle. "I'm sorry, but I had to test you. Endou-kun asked me to check where your logic would lead you."</p>
<p>"Do-san…" I snorted in a low voice. I wasn't expecting him to test me like that…</p>
<p>"But, tell me, Mamoru-kun: what do you think is the reason?"</p>
<p>I crossed my arms and I closed my eyes to think.</p>
<p>It was crystal clear that Fifth Sector was trying to hide all data related to Hayabusa. At that moment, I recalled what Yu-san had told me days before: to keep control over soccer, Fifth Sector infiltrates players of great skill in Junior High teams to make sure that their orders are complied. Therefore, it made sense to think that they wouldn't be interested in anyone knowing how strong one of their players actually was.</p>
<p>"…Is he a SEED?"</p>
<p>Haru-san grinned from ear to ear.</p>
<p>"Very well done! That's the most likely answer. Every time a player's information is especially difficult to get, there are many chances of that person being under Seitei's orders, be it young or an adult. Take into account that knowing about SEEDs is knowing about Fifth Sector itself."</p>
<p>"Well, but that's all the same for us! You don't need to know your rival to defeat it; what really matters is to give one's all! Didn't I tell you already? The Goddess of Victory smiles upon those who fight with their hearts to protect what they care about!"</p>
<p>"You may be right…" Haru-san became quiet and, then, she smiled tenderly. "See, Mamoru-kun? We need you. Sometimes I think that we think our matters over too much nowadays…"</p>
<p>"Feelings overcome logic, Haru-san!" I smiled. "What matters the most is to believe that everything will be all right, no matter what happens!"</p>
<p>My new teacher sighed and smiled back at me. Suddenly, she seemed to realise something and she looked at her watch.</p>
<p>"Oh, I'm sorry, but I have to go. We teachers have an important meeting to talk about that whole matter of the new organization of the classes and I can't skip it…" She snorted.</p>
<p>"Sure, don't worry! I'll get by!"</p>
<p>"I'll leave you here alone, all right? Good luck with the investigation!"</p>
<p>Haru-san picked her things up and went out of the club in a rush.</p>
<hr/>
<p>A while after Haru-san left, I heard the automatic doors of the club's common room opening again. I looked away from the player cards and I looked back.</p>
<p>"Working hard, Endou-chi?" He said in a jolly voice.</p>
<p>"I have no choice…! I either do this or stay at home sitting idly by, Do-san!"</p>
<p>"C'mon, don't exaggerate. Your time'll come, I promise, but let's get straight to what's important: what did you find out?"</p>
<p>"I see the biggest problem on Hideki Hayabusa."</p>
<p>"The SEED, huh? Yeah, you're right." He crossed his arms and stood there thinking. "The most likely thing's that he can use a Keshin, and that makes things harder."</p>
<p>"We should also be careful with Ichiban Kita, Tengawara's captain. He looks pretty strong, and if he knows how to lead the team, we could be in trouble…"</p>
<p>"Wow, not bad at all. I thought you'd do worse!" Do-san laughed.</p>
<p>"Hey…! You know I don't like it when you treat me like a kid!"</p>
<p>"Aww, it ain't that, Endou-chi, I mean it. It was a compliment! I was very scatterbrained when I was in your place. I'm happy to see you know how to adapt yourself to the situation: I consider it a personal achievement," he said winking at me.</p>
<p>I couldn't help smiling like an idiot, but, come on, let me have this one: it was my first time beating Do-san…!</p>
<p>"How are the guys doing, by the way?"</p>
<p>"I doubt they'll agree on playing at their best if they learn Fifth Sector wants us to lose two nil, so I'll take care not to tell 'em," he smiled mischievously. "I know Shindou, Shinsuke and Tenma will fight no matter what, but I bet everyone else'll choose to follow Seitei's orders. But let's get to the point. After everything you've seen, what do you think's the key to beat Tengawara, Endou-chi?"</p>
<p>I smirked happily.</p>
<p>"The only thing we need to win is a smile!"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. The Goddess of Victory? Son Goku's Conflict!</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>If you have made it this far, past all the weird first chapters and the wordy later ones, congratulations! You are a trooper and you're almost caught up!</p><p>This chapter was actually written many years ago. In 2013, in fact, and I haven't managed to push myself to continue since then. And there is a big reason as to why.</p><p>As I was first writing this chapter, in its original Spanish version, the unthinkable happened. After a long night of bitter suffering and struggling in order to save what couldn't be saved, my dog died in my own arms. And, even today, as I remember it, the sky cries. He doesn't suffer anymore; he is okay now. And he's still by my side, in body and spirit, supporting me unconditionally even if he can't lick my hands anymore.</p><p>When I wrote those same words in Spanish, I couldn't cry any more. But when I translated this chapter to English a year later, in 2014, tears streamed down my face again. The same is happening now, in 2020, seven long years later. The pain is still hard to bear, but there's nothing I can do. Life must go on, with or without him. As hard as it may seem.</p><p>"Tora-tora, Shishi and Kanon came up to me." These were the only words I could write before my poor Ditto began to die. My best friend passed away while I was writing this chapter. And, as you all can imagine, these pages you are hopefully about to read mean so much to me. I struggled a lot to write them back in the day because of how much they reminded me of my little one, but I assume you could have guessed that much. It was hard back then, and it was hard to translate as well (and not only because of its ridiculous length), and it's difficult today. And, once again, I'm afraid that suffering might have affected the final product. But I finished it back in the day, I managed to finish it again, and it's still close enough to my heart to want to share it here too. In 2013, I managed to turn my thoughts upside-down and finish this chapter for him; in 2014, I worked non-stop for a week to get this translated by August 10. As I said in both of those years, he wouldn't have wanted to be the cause of my suffering; he would always get sad when I cried. And that's why I want to do my very best in his honour, even if I had to beta read this chapter all by myself, which means you will probably find an even worse English than usual here. Excuse me for that--especially because this chapter just doubled the length of the whole story. Whoops.</p><p>Now that you know this, I hope you all can understand why I never managed to push past this point. It's painful. It really is. I want to be strong and motivated enough to get to it one day, and I shall keep trying, but who knows when that will happen. He deserves it, though.</p><p>Here's to you again, buddy, like everything I have ever done and will ever do. Rest in peace at last. You deserve it.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <strong>Chapter 7!</strong>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <strong>The Goddess of Victory? Son Goku's Conflict!</strong>
  </em>
</p><p>The afternoon arrived the day when Haru-san and coach Kudou had shown me the video of future Raimon's last match, and I couldn't get the Holy Road out of my head, no matter how much Gouenji would scold me for not focusing on the training. Do-san had forced me to stay away from his team's last training session before the beginning of the season, and not knowing how the guys would be doing was getting on my nerves. I wouldn't stop looking at the enormous building of the soccer club, where the team must had been training since my team was taking up the main field. That day, we had decided to try and make the most of the session to teach the basics of soccer to Ryou Miyasaka, our new signing after Shishido's injury.</p><p>Suddenly, I sensed someone sneaking up behind me. I looked at them and I saw it was Toramaru Utsunomiya, the youngest player in the team, although he had already earned everyone's respect last year as a member of the Japanese national team during the Football Frontier International, turning into an amazing player who was quite up to the standards of any of the older forwards. In Shu-shu's own words, he was meant to become the next ace striker of the team, though he didn't intend to give up on that title while he could still defend it.</p><p>Toramaru stood beside me and looked in the same direction as I did.</p><p>"What have you been looking at all day, captain?" He asked with a smile.</p><p>I started and moved away from him a bit.</p><p>"M-me? I haven't been looking at anything! I-it's just that I was gazing into the distance, I guess…!" I laughed, trying to pull of a convincing smile. …Although it didn't seem to work too well.</p><p>Toramaru tilted his head and stood there looking at me, as if he were trying to look across my soul to worm out of me whatever I might be thinking of. He ended up pursing his lips and frowning with no strength while he shrugged, as if he gave up.</p><p>"Well, I suppose you know whether there's anything wrong with you or not," he said with a light snort before going back to his usual innocent smile. "Then, you can come back to the training, right? This year's Football Frontier is going to be so hard now that everyone has our high school targeted, and I think not all of us are quite ready yet…" He muttered those last words, almost for himself but loud enough for me to hear them without trouble.</p><p>We turned our heads just in time to see Miyasaka stomping on a ball as he tried to control it and falling flat on his face in the attempt. It hurt even me. Even my mouth started tasting like the dust he had probably just bit.</p><p>However much ability for track-and-field he had according to Kaze-kaze, at that moment I started doubting if inviting him to the team had been a good idea or not. But, luckily for us all, he would end up showing what he was really worth.</p><p>In due course.</p><p>"If only Hibiki-san were here to help us train him…" Toramaru sighed, who, looking at his face, had also felt the bump as if it had been himself the one getting it. "I was hoping I would get to train with him again, but he has chosen a bad time to leave us alone."</p><p>I nodded right at the same time as Miyasaka tried to kick a steady ball and failed. I could see Shu-shu and Kaze-kaze bringing their hands to their foreheads and sighing. Yuuti folded his arms and frowned. But Miyasaka just laughed. Despite his lack of ability, he seemed to be having a good time, and that made me smile.</p><p>"Do you think we should help them?"</p><p>"Don't worry, Tora-tora, they will be fine," I calmed him down. He smiled briefly when he heard his affectionate nickname and rubbed his right arm carefully, not quite convinced. "Miyasaka has just discovered soccer, and he isn't used to it yet. Also, even if he doesn't say it, he isn't here now because he wants to be part of the team, but because he wants to help Kaze-kaze and train with him again, like they did when they were together in the track-and-field club. Of course that Shu-shu and Yuuti can teach him a bunch about soccer, but the first step is to let him discover how fun soccer is so he will want to be a true member of Raimon himself! Not just for the sake of being with Kaze-kaze, but to be one of us and to be able to play with the rest. However much he forces it, he won't manage to become stronger until he realises that."</p><p>Tora-tora blinked a few times and let out a shriek of laughter. I turned toward him and asked him what was wrong.</p><p>"That sounded so serious, captain," he smiled, giving me a wicked wink. "I didn't know you could talk like that!"</p><p>"Hey, what are you implying?" I asked as I made a wry face. As if I couldn't talk seriously!</p><p>"No, no, captain, don't take it the wrong way!" He laughed, shaking his hands in front of his face as a sign of apology. He calmed down a bit and, smiling, told me: "Now that Hibiki-san isn't here to train us, the team needs someone to lead it lovingly and firmly. I'm really glad we can count on you to guide us even in moments like this." He bowed at me exaggeratedly and screamed, "Please, keep taking care of us during this year, Endou-san!<strong>!</strong>"</p><p>"T-Toramaru…" I whispered in a thin voice. Now that the team seemed to be crumbling down, listening to those cheering words made me feel much better. For the first time in a long while, I thought that everything could eventually be solved, and that Raimon could be again the incredible team it once was. I rubbed my eyes and nodded strongly, returning the smile he had previously showed me.</p><p>"The truth is, captain," he said after straightening up, averting his gaze slightly and linking his hands together under his stomach, "that I have been working on something and I wanted to show you. It took a lot of effort, and I only trust you to tell me what you think!"</p><p>I gave him a thumbs up and winked an eye at him.</p><p>"I can't wait to see it. Let's go!"</p><p>Tora-tora bounced in happiness, picked up a nearby ball and gestured at me with his hand to follow him. I took a step, and then, without realising what I was doing, I turned my head toward the building of the soccer club of the future. I had been doing it for hours and I had grown a tic. But, that time, unlike all the previous ones, I saw something out of the ordinary when I looked in that direction. And I stood there, looking.</p><p>I half-closed my eyes to see better. From the direction of the club's building, I could see a silhouette coming up to us at a swift pace. When it came up close enough, it took a quick look at the team, which was training peacefully, and then averted its gaze again making a wry, almost disgusted face. It was a tall boy, slim and well-built, of strong features and a serious face. His brown hair, shaved from the sides and from the nape of his neck, and long and curly on the top of his head, made him look like a sprout of broccoli, but I doubt anyone had ever told him so. He was wearing the school uniform of the Raimon of the future.</p><p>No matter how I looked at him; that had to be Taichi Sangoku.</p><p>"Endou-san!" Tora-tora shouted at me from quite afar, cupping his hands around his mouth. "Are you coming or what?"</p><p>I looked at Son Goku, I looked backward at Tora-tora and then looked back at Son Goku again.</p><p>…Curiosity got the better of me.</p><p>"Is anything wrong, captain?" Tora-tora asked, who had come back to me after seeing that I wasn't moving from my place.</p><p>"I, e-err…" I cleared my throat, looking everywhere but at Tora-tora's face. "I… I'm so sorry, Toramaru," he wrinkled his nose and made a beaten puppy face as soon as he heard how I called him. Ever since problems began to sprout at Raimon, he had learnt that using his full name wasn't usually a good sign, "but I have to leave for a while. D-don't worry, though!" I shook my hands like he had done before. "I'll be back soon, I promise! You… You go and train with the others by now; I'll be here in no time so you can show me what you have been working on!"</p><p>"But, Endou-san…!"</p><p>Before he could keep me, I broke into a run as fast as I could, I went up the little hillside that separated the soccer field from the rest of the school grounds and, once out of my teammate's sight, I sprinted one last time and stood right in front of Son Goku, gasping for breath with my hands on my knees. He made a wry face, put his hands inside his pockets and tried to keep on walking without paying attention to me.</p><p>"S-Son Goku…!" I panted.</p><p>"'Sangoku'," he corrected me with a sigh, stopping and turning around toward me. "…What is wrong, Endou-san?"</p><p>"I should be… the one asking you…" I said as I straightened up. After taking a few seconds to get my breath back, I asked: "Shouldn't you be training?"</p><p>"…What for?" He snorted with rage, frowning and looking away. "Being strong or weak is all the same if Fifth Sector forces us to lose either way…"</p><p>"So you found out…" I whispered.</p><p>"We had to learn of it from Tsurugi. You didn't want to tell us because 'there was no need for us to know,' apparently."</p><p>"According to him, if you had known, you guys wouldn't have given your best out there. He just wants you to win!"</p><p>"Can you not understand that we <em>must not win</em>?!" He screamed. "We cannot rebel against Fifth Sector! None of you seems to understand how important soccer is nowadays! If we oppose to them, we will lose soccer forever and we will not have a future…"</p><p>After finishing, he took a step backward and bowed at me slightly. He whispered a weak 'excuse me' without looking at me, he turned around and kept on walking.</p><p>"I… have watched the match against Eito Academy," I told him as he left. Son Goku stopped on his tracks, but he didn't look at me. "I have been shown this morning."</p><p>"S-so what…?" He answered with a shaky voice.</p><p>"I have seen how you had to let those shots in the goal on purpose," I told him. Just the idea would make my throat dry and make me sound much rougher than I wanted.</p><p>"I-I didn't let them in," he stuttered.</p><p>"Don't give me that!" I replied. "I'm a goalkeeper too and I know what I'm talking about. I have checked your strength first hand and I know that shots as pitiful as those would never be a match for you…!"</p><p>"I'm telling you I didn't—"</p><p>"Convincing yourself otherwise is useless!" I cut him short. "However hard you try to fool yourself into believing you couldn't have stopped those shots, that feeling won't go away."</p><p>"What are you talking about…?" He said slowly as he turned around again toward me, with his head so down that he had to lift his eyes to see me.</p><p>"I saw you… suffer," I said with a worried voice. "Every time you let a goal in, it looked like something inside you had been torn to shreds…"</p><p>Son Goku averted his gaze from me. He didn't want to look in my eyes.</p><p>"Any goalkeeper would be angry if they couldn't stop a shot. You should know that."</p><p>"No, I don't know." I shook my head and took a step toward him. "It's no dishonour to have one point sneaked past you or to not be able to stop a shot once. A good keeper like you should know that it's enough to shake the dust off your clothes, focus and promise yourself that the next one won't go in. Letting a goal in when you have done your best to try to stop it isn't something that should make us suffer, but letting anyone score on purpose when you know you could have stopped it is the worst thing a goalkeeper can ever feel! And that's what you feel right now, don't you? That's your soccer player spirit, telling you that that is not okay!"</p><p>"…If you will excuse me…"</p><p>Son Goku closed his eyes tight and tried to repress a sad expression, but it was clear he was having a hard time. As he turned around again to face away from me, I told him:</p><p>"You were talking about losing soccer before. But, is this the soccer you want to keep? Do you really think this is okay? Don't you wish to play as much as you want, giving your best and fighting with all of your might to win? Can't you see that this is <em>not</em> soccer!?"</p><p>Son Goku turned around again quickly, grabbed me from the neck of my uniform and lifted me. Despite his expression of rage, his eyes were glassy.</p><p>"Quit the crap!<strong>!</strong>" He screamed while sobbing. "As much as it may hurt you, the soccer you knew does <em>not</em> exist any more!"</p><p>"Then bring it back!" I answered, trying to look serious even if his reaction had my hair standing on end. "I'm not saying it will be easy… But the Goddess of Victory always smiles upon those who fight for their cause without giving up!"</p><p>Son Goku reacted and let go of me all of a sudden. I fell on my butt and looked at him. He had his eyes on me, but was gazing into the distance. I doubt he was seeing me at that moment.</p><p>"What's wrong…?" I asked.</p><p>"It's… it's my mother."</p><p>This time around, it was me who stood looking at him.</p>
<hr/><p>After helping me stand up with a weak 'I'm sorry,' Son Goku walked toward the entrance of Raimon dragging his feet along like a zombie. I followed him hard after, but I kept myself always behind him. I didn't dare say anything; his face was somewhat… scary, to be honest. He was gloomy and self-absorbed, and I thought it would be better to let him reflect for the time being.</p><p>As soon as he left the high school, Son Goku sat on a blue bike that was parked at the entrance. At the front of the bike there was a little basket made of metal, and inside, a fabric bag that seemed to be empty.</p><p>"Are you heading home already…?" I asked slowly, afraid of distracting him, or of keeping him away from whatever he would be thinking of.</p><p>"No," he eventually answered without looking at me. "I have errands to run first."</p><p>"Do you mind it if I go with you?" I smiled at him. He looked at me discreetly and nodded with no strength.</p><p>"I guess I… don't mind you coming. But I plan to go by bike."</p><p>"Don't worry, the shopping district is not far away from here! I think I can follow you running!"</p><p>"…Yes. We will see."</p><p>Suddenly, Son Goku put his school bandoleer across his chest, placed his feet on the pedals and was off like a shot with his bike. I started with shock and asked him to wait for me at the top of my voice, but he didn't stop. He was resolved to give me the slip, but I didn't know why.</p><p>I had to find out, though.</p><p>I ran after him, but I soon realised that, however much I ran, I could never catch up to him as long as he cycled. That's why, as soon as I saw him turning around the first corner and disappearing from my sight, I prayed to the heavens to help me and started running as fast as I could without turning.</p><p>As a kid, while I played alone with grandpa's ball, I would often look for nooks and alleys to go through with the ball, to practise and to make trainings more fun; and, luckily for me, I still had that habit when I got into high school. As we looked for new ways to train during our first year, Someoka, Handa and I found a tricky path among alleys—and, well, some private areas—that connected Raimon with the shopping district almost in a straight line and in a record time, since there was no need to stroll around as much as streets made us think, but this path could only be crossed on foot. Despite all, a very fast bicycle could reach the centre in less time, but it was my only hope of catching up with him. The city had changed a lot after the mess Kanon had caused, but, for my own sake, I was hoping that the short cut to the shopping district wouldn't had disappeared.</p><p>Dodging fences, bushes, poorly chained animals and a grumpy old man who suspiciously resembled my old Science teacher, and for the first time without carrying a soccer ball on my feet, I climbed up the last wall and jumped toward the street as I thanked the gods of soccer for their help. But I didn't have the time to thank them as much as I would have wanted to.</p><p>The piercing crack of brakes and a loud scream of surprise were the last things I heard before Son Goku's bike knocked me down mid-air after the jump.</p>
<hr/><p>I don't know how long it took me to recover. I didn't faint, but the hit made me very dizzy for a few… minutes, I guess. The only thing I know is that, when I came back to my senses, I saw Son Goku's blue bike in front of me, lying on the ground. I felt that some hands were holding me, and when I turned my head, I saw it was Son Goku himself who was by my side.</p><p>"Are you all right!? I-I'm very sorry, Endou-san! I didn't see you! You jumped out of nowhere and…!" Son Goku repeated over and over again with his eyes closed. I supposed he would have been screaming that ever since he came over to help me. I tapped his chest lightly to make him react and he started, opening his eyes wide.</p><p>"You're really good with the bike…" I told him with my voice still lost, showing him the best smile I managed to pull off at that moment.</p><p>"A-are you all right…?" He repeated, frowning in worry. I nodded and placed a hand on my chest.</p><p>"You shouldn't worry about me. My whole body is just a big callus!" I laughed, and right after I coughed a single time. "Also, just a bike is nothing compared to a Keshin, is it…?"</p><p>Son Goku smiled a shy, faint smile.</p><p>"I guess not."</p><p>For the second time that day, Son Goku helped me up. I shook the dust off my soccer uniform and looked at his bike.</p><p>"Is it okay?" I asked, pointing at it.</p><p>"Of course it is. Unless it banged on the ground too hard when I got off, it should be just fine."</p><p>"I'm glad! I wouldn't want to owe you a bike; we had enough of that with Pokémon!"</p><p>"…Excuse me?" He asked, as if I were talking to him in another language. I sighed and understood that, even if we were the same age, we were still from different times. …Not to mention my tastes have often been described as 'old-fashioned'. Meh.</p><p>"No, it's nothing, don't worry. It's just nonsense!"</p><p>Son Goku held on tight to his left arm.</p><p>"I'm sorry," he said eventually, still avoiding to look at me. He crouched down to pick his bike up from the ground and continued: "I have done wrong. I suppose you must be thinking I am a brat for running away from what makes me nervous, huh…" He let out a half-hearted guffaw and then a sigh.</p><p>"I don't think that," I answered. "We all have something that worries us, and it's only natural to want to get away from it at first… What really matters is what you do in the end."</p><p>Son Goku looked around, as if he felt uncomfortable, but not for a moment did he look at me.</p><p>"By the way," I continued, "what did you mean before with what you said about your mum?" I reacted and quickly added, using my hands as a shield: "I-if you want to tell me, that is…!"</p><p>Finally, Son Goku looked up at me. He snorted with his nose and, once he was done, he gave me half a smile.</p><p>"I think you are one of those people who would not stop asking even if said no, are you not?" He said in an affable voice. I could only laugh like a dumb as he scratched the nape of his neck. "I… have errands to run, I told you. But if you come with me, I guess I… could tell you while I shop."</p><p>I picked up the fabric bag from the ground and placed it in the basket of his bike. I also found on the floor the piece of paper where he had written down what he had to buy, which I guess used to be inside the bag, and I put it on his hand.</p><p>"I know of a place where they sell great veggies!"</p>
<hr/><p>Son Goku and I went in a grocer's shop of the area. It didn't ring a bell with me, but he seemed to move around pretty well around there, so I guess it wasn't part of my time. Still, it seemed quite simple. I guess ten years aren't enough for local shops to change much.</p><p>"I have been playing soccer ever since I was very young," Son Goku said suddenly. "Always as a goalkeeper. I might not have much inborn talent, but I gave the best of me and helped my teammates as much as I could. We would not always win, but we did not mind. We simply played and had fun, without a worry in the world. Almost… unwisely. I'm surprised no one ever ended up injured at those matches."</p><p>Son Goku laughed softly, and I smiled.</p><p>"It's a bit sad," I told him, still with an odd smile on my mouth. "I'm glad you had fun, sure, but… I thought you didn't know true soccer at all."</p><p>"What's sad of that?" He asked as he searched carefully amongst the shelves.</p><p>"That you know what you're missing," I answered. He stopped rummaging in immediately and looked at me. "If you didn't know real soccer, I guess it would be more normal that you wouldn't understand what I mean. But, if you know what playing for real is… I imagine it must be much harder to accept."</p><p>"…I miss It so much, yes."</p><p>We stayed silent for a moment.</p><p>"Can I ask you a question?"</p><p>Son Goku nodded.</p><p>"Why did you run away earlier?"</p><p>"Because…" He scratched the nape of his neck and snorted. "I don't know, to be honest. I guess I… got scared. I don't like talking about my mother, and when that slipped off, I… I'm sorry. I have been very immature."</p><p>"Don't worry, we all have our weak points," I smiled. "Hey, is your mum okay? She… she wouldn't be run over by a truck, right…?"</p><p>"If she WHAT!?" Son Goku exclaimed horrified, jumping backward so hard that he flung himself against the shelving and had to rub his head in pain. "Ouch… O-of course not! Where would you get those weird ideas from, Endou-san!?"</p><p>"I-I'm sorry!" I stuttered. "It's just that, well… I'm given to very bad habits in that sense, I guess; I know of too many people who lost their loved ones that way. I guess we can count ourselves lucky that we have a real family…"</p><p>"Well, to be sincere… I don't have a father."</p><p>I gulped from the shock and I nearly choked with my own saliva.</p><p>I pulled the collar of my uniform. The sweater had never squeezed me so tight.</p><p>"My mother had to bring me up alone," he snorted. "I know how hard it was for her, and I have always been so grateful to her, ever since I was a kid. She is always complaining about how there are things I don't do the 'usual' way, like talk about my problems, and she believes it must be because I do not have a father who to share that kind of thoughts with, but that is by no means true. I simply don't want her to worry about me… She has already had enough. She gave up on many things to make me happy. Now I can get by on my own; it's about time she can be free and smile."</p><p>"And do you really think your mum would smile if she saw how you're betraying yourself?" I replied with a serious voice.</p><p>Son Goku shivered for a second.</p><p>"Why are you still playing soccer despite all, Son Goku?"</p><p>"…Because I lik—"</p><p>"Because you <em>love </em>it," I cut him short. "But is this the soccer you love? A cold and 'controlled' soccer that doesn't test the ones who play it and that only makes people suffer? What would your mum think if she saw you having such a rough time? Did she sacrifice herself for this?"</p><p>"N-no…" He stuttered, biting his lower lip. "My mother…" He paused for a bit and sighed, as if he had finally given up and he were trying to calm down before going on, "would usually come watch me play soccer when I was young. She couldn't always come because she was a very busy woman, but she always shared my passion with me. She cheered on me and pushed me to keep doing what made me happy, even if I thought about nothing but soccer. My teammates had the habit of calling her the Goddess of Victory because, whenever she came, we would win. I didn't like much that they called her a 'goddess'," he said forcing a little guffaw, "but I guess I tried harder when she was by my side. Protecting the goal while my mother watched wasn't only fun, but also made me happy and proud of myself. Her cheering, her eyes whenever I managed to stop a shot… and her smile. My mother had the most beautiful smile in the world…</p><p>"But everything is different now. Ever since I got into high school… no, ever since I knew about how Fifth Sector worked, I haven't wanted her to come to my matches. She was happy seeing me do my best, and… I don't want her to see me losing on purpose. I would prefer her to not know what is going on rather than to see her sad."</p><p>"So you don't want to see your Goddess of Victory suffering because of you, huh?" I replied.</p><p>He nodded with no strength. I couldn't help smiling at him in an almost brotherly way. I knew very well what he was talking about.</p><p>"Do you know what? Having a personal goddess can be really bothersome," I laughed. "Almost everyone has someone that they don't want to let down, and that's why they often refuse to face any challenge so as not to risk themselves to fail and disappoint them. But, one day, that people find out that the only way of returning that people's trust is to fight with all of their might, win or lose. Having a Goddess of Victory by your side carries a lot of suffering with it, yes, but it always pays off! She will always look after and smile upon you if you give the best you have!"</p><p>Son Goku closed his eyes and plonked himself on the shelving, resting his whole back on it. He seemed to had run out of strength all of sudden.</p><p>"I understand what you mean, Endou-san… Now I do. And I think I did before too, but I didn't want to admit it. I know Shindou, Matsukaze, Nishizono and you all want to play soccer for what it really is, but, regardless… I can't do it. I can't be like you all."</p><p>"…You don't know what to do, do you?" I asked with a twisted face. I could finally start seeing what was wrong with him and with everyone else.</p><p>"No… I have always wanted to get back the soccer I was once lucky enough to play, but… doing so could bring disastrous consequences. It's a hard decision…"</p><p>"Don't force it," I answered with a smile. "There are some times when what your head and your heart tell you are totally different things, and it's useless to think it over: you won't solve anything and you will only make yourself even more nervous. Trust me, it has happened to me a couple of times…!" I said, forcing a shriek of laughter. "Just like coach Kudou told us once, all the answers you're seeking are on the field: that's our stage. Tomorrow, when you see yourself in front of the goal, I'm sure everything will look clearer in your eyes!"</p><p>"Well, at least it can't get any darker…" Son Goku jabbered, rubbing his neck hard.</p><p>"Trust your soccer player instinct, Sangoku. It will never mislead you!" I smiled, winking an eye at him.</p><p>He gave me half a smile.</p><p>"You finally learnt it," he said happily, stifling a laugh.</p><p>"Huh? Learn what?"</p><p>"My name!" He laughed. "This is the first time you call me by my surname instead of 'Son Goku'!"</p><p>"Oh, t-that…!" I laughed nervously, scratching the nape of my neck. "Well, I actually did know, but I would rather call you Son Goku."</p><p>"Why is that?" He asked, tilting his head and wrinkling his nose to make a weird grimace.</p><p>"Well… let's say it's a weird habit I took not too long ago! I guess it's a way to get closer to you guys… To get along with you and avoid tense moments."</p><p>"Then I am afraid it backfired!" He laughed loudly. "Shindou is not at all happy with the whole 'Taku-taku' thing!"</p><p>"…And what about you?" I asked.</p><p>"Oh well…!" He shrugged happily. "It's not such a bad nickname, I suppose. And I have always been a fan of Journey to the West and Dragon Ball! Although I always liked Romance of Three Kingdoms a tad better."</p><p>"Ha ha, it was to be expected!"</p><p>Everything might not be so different between us, after all.</p><p>"By the way, Sangoku…" I added.</p><p>"What is it, Endou-san?"</p><p>"Whatever you do, whatever you decide, keep becoming stronger, and try to make your teammates keep improving too. Not just to beat Fifth Sector or to get your soccer back, but to be ready for anything that may bear down on you guys."</p><p>"'Bear down on us'? What are you talking about?" He asked, half-closing his eyes.</p><p>"I don't know," I answered while shrugging and letting out a soft laugh, "but my Raimon would usually come across many… mishaps. You better be ready!"</p><p>"Hah, don't worry. I doubt anything like that will happen to us."</p><p>If I had known at that moment what life had prepared for them, I would have told him something. Anything.</p><p>But, that time, I just smiled.</p>
<hr/><p>Son Goku and I went out of the shop and I helped him load the little he had bought in the basket of his bike. After thanking me, he said:</p><p>"I still don't have everything I need. Were you not going to show me a great greengrocer's shop?"</p><p>"Yes, you're right!" I laughed. "Come with me! And while we are at it, we could go to—"</p><p>I couldn't finish the sentence.</p><p>"Where'd that filthy scoundrel go!?" Someone roared in the street, silencing me.</p><p>Son Goku fixed his gaze on the entrance of the shopping district, marked by a huge red arch with a bright lightning on the very top, and before I could say a word, he blocked my way with his arm, turned toward me discreetly and whispered:</p><p>"To the shop. Quick."</p><p>Leaving his bike in the street, Son Goku pushed me inside the shop that we had just left. When I tried to ask him what was wrong, he placed his index finger on his lips and, with a very serious expression, he asked me in silence to shut up. After that, he pointed at the automatic door made of glass and hid behind some shelves that were right at the entrance, dragging me with him.</p><p>"What's going on, Son Goku?" I asked in distress. He was starting to scare me.</p><p>"I don't know," he answered in a small voice while looking at the street across the clear door, "but I had a very bad feeling about it."</p><p>I stood by his side and looked.</p><p>A group of five boys, two of them dressed with the same clothes, burst loudly into the shopping district, looking everywhere anxiously.</p><p>"That water rat couldn't've gone very far!" The same voice as before growled.</p><p>The boy who had talked leaded the group. His hair, pointy, long, metallic blue and secured by a thin headband, greatly resembled a shark fin. He had reddish brown eyes and, on top of that, the left one was marked by a big scar that went down to his cheek.</p><p>"All aboard, my ruffians! Let's hunt that fishy down!"</p><p>"Aye, my capt'n!" The boy dressed like him shouted. He was slightly taller than the first one, had black eyes and light blue and plaited hair, which fell over his shoulders and stuck out over his head.</p><p>The other three boys, each dressed in different clothes, snorted but followed the other two when they broke into a run across the street. We lost sight of them soon.</p><p>"They were wearing soccer uniforms…" I muttered. Son Goku nodded.</p><p>"I recognized two. One of them Is the uniform the scarred boy and the plaited haired boy were wearing; I am certain it belongs to Kaiou Academy. The other one—"</p><p>"Is Tengawara High School's, right?" I cut him short. Son Goku nodded again, surprised.</p><p>"Had you seen it before?"</p><p>"No, but I knew by the boy wearing it."</p><p>"Who is he…?" He asked with a serious face.</p><p>"Hideki Hayabusa," I answered slowly, "a… SEED, probably."</p><p>Son Goku frowned and made a weird gesture with his mouth. I think he tried to gulp, but he couldn't.</p><p>"I saw him on pictures this morning, while I studied the Tengawara team," I continued. "There's still no word of him, but it looks like is that lack of information what makes it seem like he works for Fifth Sector."</p><p>Son Goku got even more serious and crossed his arms.</p><p>"Should we assume, then, that all five of them were SEED?" He asked in a small voice. "If that's so, what are five elite players from Fifth Sector doing here?"</p><p>"I don't know," I snorted, crossing my arms as well, "but, whatever it may be, I bet it's nothing good."</p><p>We stayed silent. Son Goku looked down.</p><p>"Let's go!"</p><p>"What!?" Son Goku replied at once, shivering from top to bottom for a second. "They're SEED, Endou-san! We shall not fall on our feet if we interfere…!"</p><p>"The one with the scar said they were looking for someone," I said while looking directly in his eyes. "And, if they were around here, that person can only be someone from Raimon… I'm worried, Son Goku, and I know you are too deep inside. We can't stay here and do nothing!"</p><p>Raimon's new goalkeeper gulped at last and clenched his fists.</p><p>"Are you with me in this, <em>Sangoku</em>?" I asked him with a smile.</p><p>"…I have no other alternative, <em>coach</em>."</p><p>We went out of the shop, Son Goku sat on his bike and we broke into a run together in the same direction the SEED had taken.</p>
<hr/><p>I hadn't realised before, but the area was deserted. However many streets we looked at, we barely came across anyone, and the few people that were there seemed so serious and distrustful. I wondered why for an instant, but I soon shook my head and I decided, once again, that it was better to deal with problems one by one.</p><p>"So ya were here, huh, ya louse!?" The leader of the group shouted just after we turned the corner and saw them. He and his four mates had their gazes fixed on an alley.</p><p>That was the first time I could clearly see Hayabusa live. His eyes were of a very light brown colour, almost golden. His violet hair grew in the shape of three big locks on the top of his head. His lower lip, of a strange purple colour, drew an unpleasant grimace of arrogance on his face, which he was directly aiming at that alley.</p><p>Whoever the person they were looking for were, they had found them hidden in there.</p><p>"Don't even try to flee, you rotter," Hayabusa hissed as he took a step forward and shrugged. "You're cornered and, in that condition, I doubt you could go very far nor face us. Stay still, do as told and we won't hurt you… much."</p><p>"Never! I won't let you get your way!"</p><p>My breathing was cut dead as soon as I heard that voice.</p><p>"SHISHIDO!<strong>!</strong>" I shouted at the top of my lungs from the end of the street. The three players we knew anything of looked at us quite surprised, but the other two simply turned their heads all of a sudden and gave us a cold look.</p><p>"C-captain?" Shishi asked, poking his head out of the alley as best as he could with the cast still on his leg.</p><p>"Do you know him, Endou-san?" Son Goku asked at the same time as Shishi talked.</p><p>"I told ya not to move!" The leader of the group shouted furiously, kicking Shishi's cast which made him take a few steps backward and writhe in pain. "So ya called yer comrades as soon as ya saw yerself in deep water, huh, ya scum?! Well, that'll only be good for them to watch ya kneeling in front of Fifth Sector! Wanda!"</p><p>"Aye, my capt'n!" Kaiou's other player repeated, throwing a ball up in the air by a kick.</p><p>"BEST TO MAKE YER PEACE WITH GOD!<strong>!</strong>"</p><p>The leader of the group pulled off an enormous leap and spun in the air, placing himself face down and kicking the ball with a super strong bicycle kick that made the air around him vibrate intensely.</p><p>I knew it was too late, but I broke into a run toward him. My body moved on its own even if it was a useless effort. No one could have reached the ball in such a short time.</p><p>Shishi was doomed.</p><p>But, then, I heard a scream, and another one right after. Two screams that seemed so familiar, and that changed my face at once.</p><p>I couldn't say when nor how it happened, but the next thing I knew is that I saw Kanon and Toramaru appear out of nowhere and block together the terrific shot of the leader of the group, returning it to the SEED to his tremendous surprise.</p><p>Suddenly, one of the two unknown members of the group, dressed with a goalkeeper uniform, got ahead of the rest with a jump and, with an enormous effort, managed to catch Toramaru's and Kanon's shot against his chest. Once he made sure he had stopped it, the boy snorted deeply and relaxed his previously violent face.</p><p>When he straightened up again, I could see his face more clearly. Of short, stirred and purple hair, and a short beard that joined up with his sideburns and framed his face completely, that boy of sharp red eyes that matched the colour of his uniform seemed to be a goalkeeper of a huge physical power. I am familiar with Tora-tora's and Kanon's strengths and I know that, if they were to combine them, the result would be stronger than many world-class hissatsu, but that boy had managed to stop it with his bare hands and without prior warning. That was super commendable!</p><p>"Where'd these two urchins come from?!" The leader of the group roared, getting the ball back from the goalkeeper's hands very rudely. "How dare ya, ya filthy scum, stand in the way of a SEED!? This affront won't be forgiven!"</p><p>"I haven't the faintest idea of what you're talking about," Tora-tora replied with an angry air and spreading his arms wide to block the SEED's way, "but whoever tries to harm my friends will have to face me first!"</p><p>Kanon, in the meantime, went into the alley and, as I myself went up to them, I could hear my great-grandson asking Shishi if he was fine. Even if he doesn't always appear to be so, Kanon knows very well what he's doing. Sometimes, knowing that makes it much easier for me to breathe freely again.</p><p>As soon as I caught up with them, I placed myself next to Tora-tora and mimicked him, spreading my arms wide to block the SEED's way. Son Goku had also come closer without me noticing, but, when he was about to come up to the place where we were, he braked sharply and decided to stay out of it. His fists were shaking with rage, but he wasn't ready yet. I couldn't blame him.</p><p>"What do you want from him!?" I shouted at the SEED.</p><p>"Your little friend poked his nose where it didn't belong and has devoted himself to spy on us. I must admit that it takes courage to meddle so openly in Fifth Sector's business, and even more so in his condition," he smiled an evil faint smile and said very slowly, "but it's still an affront that we can't let slip by. That's why, by express instruction from Fifth Sector's top post, your majesty the Seitei, the treacherous spy must be severely… <em>disciplined</em>."</p><p>"Shishi, is that true…?" I asked him, turning my head to look backward.</p><p>"N-no! I wasn't—!"</p><p>"Shut up, ya filthy rat!<strong>!</strong>" The leader of the group shouted. "We caught ya red-handed at our facilities, so how dare ya deny it!?"</p><p>"They weren't theirs! I just went in—!"</p><p>"I JUST TOLD YA TO SHUT UP!<strong>!</strong>" The leader yelled again, scaring Shishi so much that he was left speechless. "Now, ya worms, ya better get outta the way! That boy over there," he said while pointing at Shishi, "is coming with us in the name of Fifth Sector!"</p><p>"We have nothing to do with Fifth Sector," I replied, looking directly at him while frowning. "You have no right to order us!"</p><p>"You don't understand, do you?" Hayabusa said, letting out a little, arrogant guffaw. "Fifth Sector doesn't know of ages: its control spreads throughout Japan today, in the past and in the future! In fact, to have influence on 'your' time will make the mission of managing soccer and keeping it from consuming our society much easier. We will nip the problem <em>in the bud</em>, and there is nothing you can do. It's just a matter of time that Fifth Sector's control becomes absolute. And if that means we have to take that gossip idiot with us, let there be no doubt that we will."</p><p>"You'll have to step over us, then! Soccer-related fights are solved with soccer!" I replied, and both Tora-tora and Kanon nodded.</p><p>Hayabusa smacked his own lips.</p><p>"That is precisely what I wanted to hear. Let us present you with a little sample of what a group of SEED can do."</p><p>The five SEED turned around and began walking to take positions at one side of the street. Then, Tora-tora approached me and touched my shoulder.</p><p>"H-hey, captain."</p><p>"What's up?"</p><p>"You know I'd help you in any situation without even thinking about it nor asking any questions, but… What's exactly that 'Fifth Sector' thing?"</p><p>I couldn't help letting out an uncomfortable laugh; I felt bad for making Toramaru and Kanon fight for reasons they couldn't even understand. But, still, I decided to leave explanations for later. Reasons could wait; Shishi's safety couldn't.</p>
<hr/><p>"All right, ya rogues!" The leader of the group shouted at us from the other side of the street, where Fifth Sector's servants had already taken care of placing a goal so we could play right there. As he talked, those same men, all dressed in dark blue suits and deep red gloves, were taking charge of placing another goal behind us. "We'll have soccer battle to three goals, so ya'll get the chance to verify to what extent yer efforts are useless. If ya need a name to know by those who'll make ya walk the plank, ya can call us the Five Sectors; and I'm this team's captain, Rensuke Namikawa. Ya better not forget it!"</p><p>I looked at Kanon and Tora-tora and they both nodded. They were okay with the conditions.</p><p>"All right!" I replied, turning toward them. "We accept your challenge! So who of you guys will be playing?"</p><p>"Which part of <em>Five </em>Sectors wasn't clear enough for ya, ya wretch?" Namikawa laughed sarcastically. "All of us will play."</p><p>"W-what?" Tora-tora exclaimed. "But soccer battles have always been four on four!"</p><p>"Yer all quite out of date, far as I can tell," Wanda said, the other boy wearing Kaiou's uniform. "It's been years since soccer battles are played with five players. That's why us Fifth Sector's forces always move in groups of at least five people, in case we'd to deal with rats like y'all."</p><p>"And what about our rules?" Tora-tora replied. "In this situation, ours are as valid as yours!"</p><p>"Let it be, Tora-tora," I told him. "Let's play like they do. That way, if we beat them on their own ground, they will have no possible excuse!"</p><p>"Yes, but… It's not just that we're not used to that style, we're also just three people… We could manage to face up to four people, but five are too many…! And Shishido-senpai's in danger here!"</p><p>"But we're not three. We're four."</p><p>I looked at Son Goku, who was still next to his bike and away from Shishi and us, and I could see that he had his eyes fixed on us. Nonetheless, as soon as our eyes met, he averted his.</p><p>"Come on, Sangoku, you have seen what they want to do…!" I shouted concerned. "This has nothing to do with following their orders, it's about saving an innocent person! I know you couldn't stand watching how someone who has nothing to do with this fight ends up injured!"</p><p>Son Goku breathed in deeply, clenched his fists and snorted. He leant the bicycle against the wall, looked at me again and, after nodding slightly, started walking toward us. I smiled with all of my might. I knew I could trust him!</p><p>"Guys, this is Taichi Sangoku, and he's going to play with us today! You see? We're four now!"</p><p>"More like five!"</p><p>All of us turned around when we heard that voice, and we saw in awe that Shishi had removed his cast and was slowly walking up to us.</p><p>"B-but Shishi!" I exclaimed. "You aren't fully recovered yet…!"</p><p>"…I know that better than anyone," Shishi stuttered, "but I can't stand idly by while you fight for me! I went through that once… and I promised myself that it wouldn't happen again. I may not be at my best, but I can play! I promise!"</p><p>"Hii-jiichan…" Kanon whispered when he saw me doubting. "I… I think you should let him play!"</p><p>"Kanon…" I stammered, somewhere between surprised and worried.</p><p>"I understand what Shishido-san is going through. He can't stand having to ask for help while doing nothing; that's the same I felt when I had to ask you and your friends for help. So, if you let me fight alongside you that time, Hii-jiichan, let Shishido-san play with us now, please! Let him defend himself even if it's dangerous!"</p><p>I looked at Shishi, still worried, and asked him:</p><p>"Do you really want to play? Do you think you will be fine…?"</p><p>"I want to play," he nodded, "and I don't care if I'm fine or not. What I don't want is to stay aside while you all try to save me, captain. It's a risk I want to take."</p><p>"All right, then!" I said after a little pause. "Guys, let's show them what we can do!"</p><p>I turned to the SEED.</p><p>"We're ready, Five Sectors! We're, hmm…"</p><p>"Raimon Fusion?" Kanon suggested after a few seconds.</p><p>"We can make do with that," I answered while shrugging, and, speaking to the SEED again, I continued: "We're Raimon Fusion, and I'm the captain of the team, Mamoru Endou!"</p><p>"M-Mamoru Endou!?" The whole team exclaimed, except the guy who had yet to do anything. I was as scared of their reaction as they were of my name.</p><p>"…B-bah," Hayabusa ended up saying In an insulting voice. "T-that's just a name! A has-been is nothing Fifth Sector can't deal with!"</p><p>I will never get used to the whole being a legend thingy. The feeling of having people react to your name is very… uncomfortable.</p>
<hr/><p>"Are you sure we can entrust this boy with the goal, captain?" Tora-tora asked me as he took a quick look at Son Goku, who was still fitting the gloves I had lent him.</p><p>"He will get it right," I smiled at him. "Son Goku is the goalkeeper of the Raimon of the future and was the captain of the team until last year, so it's clear how strong he is! He has still a long way to go, but I think he will achieve great things if he puts his mind into it. Still, these people's strength is huge, and it's very likely that he will need our help when the time comes. We must defend properly, guys!"</p><p>"Yes!<strong>!</strong>" Tora-tora, Shishi and Kanon replied at once. Son Goku punched the palm of his hand and articulated what I think was a 'let's do this', but without making a sound.</p><p>Namikawa tossed the ball at my chest and smiled at me mockingly.</p><p>"Let's see what ya can do."</p><p>I frowned slightly and smiled back at him. I gave Shishi the ball, who would take care of the kick-off, and I moved back to the defence.</p><p>"Come on, guys!" I shouted. "Let's play soccer!"</p><p>Shishi hit the ball from the middle of the field and passed it to Kanon, who broke into a run toward the opposite field at full speed. Shishi and Tora-tora cut inside the SEED's field as well.</p><p>"Wanda, stop him!" Namikawa shouted, ignoring Tora-tora and Shishi and moving up to our field.</p><p>Despite the cement ground we were playing on, Wanda had no qualms about sliding across the floor to get Kanon, but he managed to dodge him at a leap and continued on his way. Wanda stood up, growled with rage and leaped on Kanon again, tackling him with his shoulder, but before Wanda could hit him, Kanon knocked the ball into the centre, aiming directly at Tora-tora's feet.</p><p>"Nice pass, Kanon-san!" Tora-tora smiled, giving Kanon a thumbs up. But, when he turned his head to look at the front again, he found Hayabusa right on front of him, who had gone back to the defence and anticipated the pass.</p><p>"Too slow!" Tengawara's SEED smiled as he violently threw himself to get the ball.</p><p>Tora-tora backed down with shock and, when he saw that Hayabusa was almost on top of him, he tossed the ball to a side and passed his rival, but no one was there to take the ball.</p><p>"Where are you aiming at, brat?" Hayabusa said mockingly, kicking the floor to change direction quickly and head toward the ball.</p><p>Nonetheless, as soon as the ball touched the ground again, instead of bouncing normally, it began to spin in the place at full speed and, before Hayabusa could react, it shot out in the opposite direction and ended up right at Tora-tora's feet.</p><p>"Hitori One-Two!" He exclaimed loudly as he smiled at a terribly confused Hayabusa, who didn't know what had just happened. Even so, when he saw Tora-tora breaking into a run toward the goal again, he began to chase him with rage.</p><p>Tora-tora reached the goal and got ready to shot, and the goalkeeper prepared himself. Hayabusa ran toward him in desperation, trying to block him. From the back of the goalkeeper, a waving shadow that seemed to grow by the second had already begun to emerge. And, then, to the surprise of them all, Tora-tora quickly passed backward.</p><p>Shishi picked the ball up while running.</p><p>No one had noticed his presence. Kanon and Tora-tora had managed to draw all the attention on them so the other team wouldn't notice that the injured and frail Shishi was there too, freely moving forward inside the opposite field, slowly but surely.</p><p>He brushed the ball slightly with his foot as he threw his leg back as far as he could. Meanwhile, the ball gathered power and started glowing with a blinding bluish shine, even more intense than the one it used to take on when I was the one shooting.</p><p>"Shin… Grenade Shot!" He shouted as he kicked the ball strongly, sending it at a blistering speed toward the goal.</p><p>The rival goalkeeper didn't have time to react and he was brutally routed by Shishi's shot, which hammered into the goal that the Five Sectors' henchmen had placed there minutes before.</p><p>Kneeling on the ground, the goalkeeper stared at the ball that he hadn't been able to stop.</p><p>"Focus, Hyoudou!<strong>!</strong> I won't allow ya to tarnish Fifth Sector with yer slips, ya louse!" Namikawa shouted with rage.</p><p>"…Shut up. I don't even know why I'm here…" The goalkeeper jabbered, averting his gaze. "I'm not even a SEED, after all."</p><p>"And you will never be the way you're going," Hayabusa broached disdainfully. "Be grateful you can hobnob with true SEED just because your high school is loyal to Fifth Sector. Just do what you are told to, prove you are trustworthy, and you may end up earning Seitei's respect."</p><p>Hyoudou stood up slowly, took a few seconds to calm down and got in position again without saying another word. Nevertheless, and even if he looked calm, I could notice that he had his jaw tightly clenched and was shivering slightly.</p><p>"Good job, guys!" I told them all with a smile when they came back from the opposite field, and I added: "Your strategy worked, Shishi!"</p><p>He scratched the nape of his neck, flustered, but soon he came back to his senses and made a wry face.</p><p>"Yes, it worked this time, but… it was simply because they let it work themselves."</p><p>"They let us, you say?" Tora-tora asked.</p><p>"Yes. That boy over there."</p><p>That was the first time I stopped to look at him. He had red eyes, and his hair was spiky and totally white from the middle of his head up to the top. The hair on the nape of his neck was bluish, and he had a long ponytail too. He wouldn't look at his teammates, but at us. He ignored them, and, when you think about it, it seemed like they didn't want to get involved with him. They had blamed it on the goalkeeper for not reacting, but no one had told that boy a word.</p><p>"He could have stopped me, but he didn't do it," Shishi continued. "He hasn't spoken a word nor moved from there ever since the match started. I noticed him looking at me the whole time, but, even so, he let me shot freely. I don't know why, but he's getting on my nerves…"</p><p>That boy was still looking at us, and I returned the gaze at him. Would he really be just another member of Fifth Sector?</p>
<hr/><p>Namikawa placed the ball in the middle of the field. Hayabusa, who had changed his condescending expression to one of fury, placed himself next to his captain.</p><p>"Games are over," he muttered.</p><p>Namikawa hit the ball lightly and Hayabusa leaped on it without mercy, going into our field at full speed. Kanon and Tora-tora collared him.</p><p>Hayabusa gave a look of absolute hatred at Tora-tora.</p><p>"You dared make fun of a SEED… AND I WILL MAKE YOU REGRET IT FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE!<strong>!</strong>"</p><p>Ignoring Kanon completely, Hayabusa hurtled directly toward Tora-tora. Before he caught up with Kanon, he somersaulted forward, making the ball fly over himself. Hayabusa fell on his feet, knelt down, and the ball passed right between him and Tora-tora.</p><p>"BURNING SUMMER!<strong>!</strong>"</p><p>Before he could react, Hayabusa, using the momentum he had just gained thanks to the somersault, threw a kick over his head and hit the ball, setting it on fire and using that strength to take Tora-tora with him and throw him several metres away. After crushing him, he jumped over him and left Kanon behind easily.</p><p>"Utsunomiya-san!" Kanon screamed as he ran to the sore Toramaru's aid after the huge blow Hayabusa had struck him on the chin with his hissatsu.</p><p>Next thing I saw was that Hayabusa's shadow had already begun to vibrate.</p><p>"I will destroy you! I will destroy you and your stupid habit of sticking your noses where they don't belong!<strong>!</strong>"</p><p>Hayabusa crossed his arms and crouched down. From that position, he threw his arms up in the air, making his shadow come out of his body all of a sudden like a stream of dark energy.</p><p>"Show yourself, my Keshin! Choujin Falco!<strong>!</strong>"</p><p>From Hayabusa's shadow an enormous monster was born. It had the head of an eagle, but a blue, muscular and human-like body. Its hands, white just like the feathers on its head, looked like curved and sharp claws. The last thing to show up were the huge wings that came out of its back.</p><p>I noticed Son Goku's breathing shaking in an odd way.</p><p>Kanon took his eyes off Tora-tora to gaze at Hayabusa's Keshin. I couldn't properly describe what happened, but it was as if his eyes… sparkled.</p><p>Son Goku covered his face with his arms to protect himself from the dust the Keshin's humongous amount of energy was raising, but I could see him clenching his teeth tight.</p><p>"What is that supposed to be!?" Tora-tora and Shishi said at the same time, as they tried to understand what they were seeing. I knew that feeling well.</p><p>"Heh."</p><p>Hayabusa spread his arms violently and Falco mimicked him, filling the field with feathers and sending the ball up in the air from the strong gale that the movement got up. Hayabusa leaped, rolled in the air and, using the ball as a trampoline, he propelled himself even higher. From on high, he raised his leg as far as he could and, making use of the strength he gained while plummeting, he gave the ball an incredible kick at the same time as Falco used its gigantic claws to make the shot even stronger with a cross cut.</p><p>"Falco Wing!<strong>!</strong>" Hayabusa shouted as he kicked, sending the terrifying shot toward Son Goku's goal. I tried to stop it, but I was too late and the ball simply crushed me and knocked me over.</p><p>Showing an incredible courage, Son Goku closed his eyes and tried to stop the shot with his bare hands, but he could barely stop it from advancing for a second; as soon as his arms weakened in the slightest, the shot knocked Son Goku down and went in the goal so hard that it moved it several metres away from its place.</p><p>Only then everything became clear.</p><p>Hayabusa made his Keshin disappear and went back to his field laughing with difficulty.</p><p>"S-Sango… ku…!" I stammered as I clumsily stood up and went to his aid. Luckily, he seemed to be all right, just a tad sore.</p><p>"He is so strong…" He said, sitting up. He looked at the ground and let out a sad groan. "Even stronger than I thought."</p><p>"Why didn't you use a hissatsu, then?" I asked him, frowning. "What made you think you could stop a shot like that with your bare hands?"</p><p>"…What does it matter? Even if I had used my Burning Catch, nothing would have changed. It was too strong for me…"</p><p>"That doesn't matter!" I answered back almost at the top of my voice. "It's the goalkeeper's duty to face every shot with all of their might, not matter the kind!" I calmed down a little and I continued: "I know what you are afraid of, but you aren't playing their soccer any more, Sangoku, but yours." He gulped. "This is a fair challenge we accepted to save an innocent, not a match that Fifth Sector ordered you to lose. What you just did showed us that you have the courage that it takes to face up to anything; now prove yourself that you have the courage to fight with all of your might for the victory and for what you think is fair."</p><p>Son Goku looked at me and, in a thin voice, he said:</p><p>"…I'm sorry that I betrayed your trust, Endou-san. I promise that, as long as it is in my hands… the next one won't go in."</p><p>"We are counting on you!"</p><p>I turned my head. Tora-tora, Shishi and Kanon came up to me slowly. I felt Shishi's breathing much shakier than usual. Tora-tora took a step forward.</p><p>"Captain, what was… <em>that</em>?"</p><p>I looked at Son Goku, who nodded at me slightly, and then I looked back at the guys.</p><p>"That was a Keshin, and it's nothing but the proof that we're not facing just anyone. But we're already used to that, aren't we?" I smiled.</p><p>"But, captain…"</p><p>I picked up the ball from inside the goal, which Fifth Sector's servants had already moved back to its place again, and I tossed it to Kanon.</p><p>"It's just a goal, so don't worry! They may have abilities that we don't know, but soccer is always the same! Don't be afraid of them!"</p><p>"Hii-jiichan is right!" Kanon added. "We have nothing to worry about, right? They may be strong, but we have trained a lot as well!"</p><p>"You're right," Tora-tora smiled. "Let's show them that we're not as out-of-date as they think!"</p><p>"That's what I like to hear!<strong>!</strong> By now, let's focus on scoring once more to get ahead of them again!"</p><p>"Yes!<strong>!</strong>" Tora-tora, Shishi and Kanon replied at once.</p><p>It felt great to feel part of a close-knit team again.</p>
<hr/><p>Shishi kicked off toward Kanon just like before, but Hayabusa hurled himself at him before he could realise it and, tackling him with his shoulder, he managed to steal the ball from him. Without missing a beat, his shadow vibrated again.</p><p>I ran until I placed myself right between the goal and Hayabusa. By then, Falco's feathers had already covered the field again, and its user was smiling at me.</p><p>"Did you enjoy all that flying business, you meddlesome worm? It will be my pleasure to send you into the air again, then!"</p><p>Again, Hayabusa rose up to the clouds and plummeted against the ball along with his Keshin, shooting a second Falco Wing so strong that the gale it got up barely let Shishi, Kanon and Tora-tora move from where they were, at both sides of Hayabusa.</p><p>"The same trick won't work twice!"</p><p>I crouched down slightly for a second, focusing on collecting energy from every corner of my body. I stood up again strongly, letting out a cry of fury that made a huge shining hand appear over my head. With my jaw clenched, I crossed my arms over my forehead to gather on that point all the energy I had collected before, and the hand closed into a fist.</p><p>"Megaton Head… G4!" I shouted loudly, even more than usual when I felt all over my body the electric tingling that a hissatsu causes when it evolves.</p><p>I leant my head and shoulders back, making the hand move back with me. I waited for a few seconds and, when the shot got close enough, I threw my body forth again and gave a strong head-butt that the fist mimicked, hitting the ball directly as I shouted with all of my might.</p><p>For a second I thought I had it, but then Hayabusa screamed and his shot broke my hissatsu, despite it having just evolved.</p><p>"It's mine, Endou-san!" Son Goku said behind me.</p><p>While I tried to stop the shot, he had been preparing himself thoroughly. When I looked back, unlike the previous time, his right hand was surrounded by flames, and he was spinning in the air.</p><p>"Burning Catch!<strong>!</strong>" He shouted as he fell sharply on the shot. His hand, still burning, pressed the ball against the ground.</p><p>Seconds after, Son Goku bounced backward, holding the ball with both hands.</p><p>"H-how would that happen…!?" Hayabusa exclaimed, falling on his knees as he tried to get his breath back.</p><p>"I… stopped it…" He whispered as he looked at the ball, almost unable to believe what he had just done.</p><p>"Well done, Son Goku!<strong>!</strong>"</p><p>He shook his head slightly, showed me half a smile and threw the ball into the air.</p><p>"Shishido-san!" He shouted as he kicked the ball, which ended up at Shishi's feet without trouble. He broke into a run toward the opposite field, but Namikawa collared him.</p><p>"This is where yer voyage ends, ya stowaway!"</p><p>Shishi stopped on his tracks and started moving his legs as fast as he could, raising a dust screen around him.</p><p>"Gorimuchuu!" He yelled as soon as the dust shrouded Namikawa, blinding him. Shishi made the most of that moment to get by his rival without him even noticing and he soon came out the other side of the dust cloud he had created himself, leaving Namikawa lost inside of it.</p><p>"M-my capt'n!" Wanda shouted, hurling himself at Shishi right after from the other side of the field. But, with Hayabusa exhausted and Namikawa still struggling to get out of that cloud of dust, there was no one on the field to keep Shishi from throwing the ball at the opposite goal, where Tora-tora was heading to.</p><p>Tora-tora reached the pass perfectly and faced the goal.</p><p>"This is what I wanted to show you, captain!<strong>!</strong>" He shouted loud enough for me to hear it from the other side of the field.</p><p>He powerfully stomped on the ground with his right foot, slightly lifting the ball off the ground and making the reflection of a huge tiger appear behind us.</p><p>"Tiger Drive…!"</p><p>Gathering the strength of the tiger's roar on his right foot, Toramaru shot with a terrific volley that gave the ball a glow the same colour as the animal.</p><p>"…V2!" Toramaru shouted at the same time as the tiger roared again, making the energy the ball carried inside of it burst.</p><p>Seeing himself in the same situation as before, Hyoudou didn't try to bring out his Keshin. Instead, he crouched down slightly and did a back flip. After coiling his body and taking the shape of a big shining whirl made of air, he began to spin, zigzagged around the field to gather speed and charged against the ball with violence.</p><p>"Abareguruma!<strong>!</strong>" He shouted just before colliding against Tora-tora's Tiger Drive. He could only keep the shot for a few seconds before it crushed him strongly and got in the goal.</p><p>"That's it!" Tora-tora exclaimed happily when he saw his hissatsu had given us the second goal. He turned toward me and gave me a toothy smile before saying: "How did you like that, captain!?"</p><p>"Incredible, Tora-tora!<strong>!</strong> You did great!<strong>!</strong>" I shouted at him while cupping my hands around my mouth before giving him a thumbs-up and returning the smile.</p><p>Hayabusa shot a glance of contempt at Hyoudou as he tried to stand up.</p><p>"What a pitiful show. Ya better had improved yer speed when yer time comes or the fact that ya can 'use' a Keshin won't change a thing, ya<em> goalkeeprel.</em>"</p><p>I felt Hyoudou's blood boiling from the opposite field. Whoever he were, he certainly didn't seem to want to be there. It was clear that those people weren't like him.</p><p>Tora-tora came from the other side of the field and Kanon and Shishi congratulated him happily. I was about to come closer as well, but a shiver that went all over my back paralysed me. I looked at the opposite field.</p><p>I would have sworn he had moved.</p>
<hr/><p>Tables were turned. This time it was Hayabusa who kicked off and Namikawa picked up the ball.</p><p>"Thank the gods for blessing ya with a little gust of tailwind," Namikawa puffed as Hayabusa went right inside our field. "Ya've had yer fun, ya louses, but this ends right here. A group of little squirts can't fight against the rough ocean Fifth Sector and its SEED are! Ya can try and row against the current as much as ya want, but the undertow will drag ya inwards no matter how hard ya try. There's no way that—!"</p><p>"Hii-jiichan!" Kanon shouted, cutting Namikawa short. We both run to him.</p><p>"…so brace yerselves for—! Huh?"</p><p>Before he could realise what was going on, Namikawa had Kanon right in front of his very nose.</p><p>"Block Circus!<strong>!</strong>" We both screamed, right while Kanon jumped over Namikawa's head. He took a step backward, looking in panic at my great-grandson hurling himself at him from on high without a chance of escaping. I, meanwhile, made the most of that moment and slid across the floor to get the ball without Namikawa even knowing it and, hitting the ball with the outer side of the foot, I managed to throw it up for it to end up at Kanon's feet, who picked the ball up, became stable again with a somersault and fell on his feet, right behind Namikawa and with the ball in his possession. The SEED fell on his butt with shock, and Kanon broke into a run toward the opposite field.</p><p>Hayabusa fixed his gaze on his captain and snorted loudly with his nose. He seemed to be very, very tense. Meanwhile, Kanon left Wanda behind easily and headed for the goal.</p><p>Kanon kicked the ball, which moved forward a few metres and suddenly stopped. He kicked the ground and, in an instant, he went up to the ball, which was hovering gently over the ground. He somersaulted quickly in the air and leant both of his feet against the ball, making sparks fly out of it.</p><p>"God…!" He exclaimed as the ball started getting an intense golden glow and the sparks turned into huge lightning, very similar to those who connected my body to my God Hand.</p><p>Kanon crouched down on the ball, pressing his body against it as much as possible to give it all the power he could in the little time he had.</p><p>"…Cannon!<strong>!</strong>" He finally screamed, stretching and letting the energy flow, which made the ball fly out toward the goal like a cannon shot, shrouded in a bright golden light.</p><p>But he got in the way.</p><p>Before the shot could touch him, he made a wide sweep with his arm. The ball lost all the power it had in it and placed itself right before him, flitting about in the air, where it was quickly surrounded by a shining white energy.</p><p>I looked at the sky. Where had all those clouds come from all of a sudden?</p><p>Namikawa, standing on his feet already, fixed his gaze on that scene.</p><p>"L-Lord Hakuryuu! Wait, please!<strong>!</strong>"</p><p>That boy, as if he were riding the storm, rose into the air along with the ball, uttering a menacing battle cry as he went up. Finally, he placed himself horizontal to the ground and…</p><p>"White…"</p><p>…he shot.</p><p>"HURRICANE!<strong>!</strong>"</p><p>His shot turned into a furious and bright hurricane that twisted and snaked along with the storm, levelling everything in its path. Kanon flew out only from being close, and it didn't mind sending Wanda into the air just because he couldn't move out of the way in time. For it, friends and foes didn't exist.</p><p>And that terrible hissatsu was heading straight toward Hayabusa.</p><p>Tengawara's SEED was totally paralysed. Despite the terrible wind the hissatsu was getting up, he didn't seem to be able to move at all. He was just staring at it as it came closer to him at full speed, lifting even the pavement.</p><p>"Get away!<strong>!</strong>" I yelled at him from the defence, but he didn't react. That boy's hissatsu was about to pierce through him directly and yet he refused to move.</p><p>And, then, Shishi jumped on him. The hurricane sent them through the air like it did with Kanon and Wanda, but Shishi had managed to avoid the direct hit. Only when he saw himself out of danger, Hayabusa could scream in fear.</p><p>But not everything was over. The hissatsu was still moving forward toward the goal at full speed, and I didn't have time any more to bar the way like before to try and stop the shot. Son Goku was alone, and that shot was terrifying.</p><p>And, even so, his hand caught fire. His whole body was shaking like a leaf, you could see in his face that he was dead scared, but his hand caught fire, and he jumped. He spun in the air and plummeted against the hurricane.</p><p>But he didn't get to touch it.</p><p>When the hissatsu was about to reach the goal, a massive blast of air came from one of the sides of the field and, as soon as it hit the ball, it lost all of its power and fell to the ground like a stone.</p><p>Son Goku was totally dumbstruck, fixing his eyes on the ball. He landed gently on the ground and his hand put out little by little. But I wasn't interested in the ball any more. I turned my head in the direction the blast of air had come from, which I was sure I had seen before somewhere.</p><p>The person I found there was an adult man, really tall, with big black eyes, a really marked frown and bags under his eyes. His purple hair, tied with a headband which knot fell over his shoulders, was combed backward making spikes, and from the sides of his head two locks of hair stuck out. A smaller one fell over his forehead, as if they were the remains of something much bigger that used to be there. He was wearing a white apron that covered his trousers, and on the chest of his matching red shirt, a word was written:</p><p>'Rai'.</p><p>He slowly approached the ball and stomped on it fiercely, preventing any of us from getting it. He took a gander around to have a look at everyone's faces, and I would swear he stopped for a second when he saw Tora-tora me. But, despite all, keeping a serious and menacing face that could have very well been that of a dangerous gangbanger, he spoke to us all and told us:</p><p>"I don't want a mess in front of my restaurant. You're driving business away."</p><p>He made the ball roll on his foot, threw it into the air and kicked it with an astonishing strength against the guy who had just shot. It looked like the ball would go through him, but it gently stopped right before reaching him and landed on his feet. The boy seemed to had been frightened, but he simply picked up the ball, turned around and said:</p><p>"We are off."</p><p>Namikawa reacted and tried to take a step toward that boy, but it seems like he regretted it and went back to his place.</p><p>"Lord Hakuryuu, please! I swear we can win! Give us another chance…!"</p><p>The white-haired boy waited a few seconds and then glared back at Namikawa.</p><p>"You can not. The difference in status is too wide, and you are all too blind to see it," he said curtly. "As much as you are SEED, they are in a completely different dimension as yours, and being Keshin users shall not save you. To carry on fighting would be a waste of time that would only cast a shadow over the reputation of the almighty Fifth Sector. I have had to intervene in order to not suffer a defeat; now prove that you have a common sense and withdraw whilst you can."</p><p>"…Will ya report our defeat to Seitei, milord?"</p><p>"No. We might not have accomplished the mission we have been entrusted with, but I believe the information we have raised is rather… interesting." He turned toward us and frowned slightly. After that, he faced away from us and continued: "Although, instead, I may recommend you all to the master as possible candidates for God Eden. You too, goalkeeper. How did you say you are called?"</p><p>"…Hyoudou," he answered with a slight bow. He seemed to find it hard to talk after hearing the white-haired boy's words. "T-Tsukasa Hyoudou, milord."</p><p>"I shall not forget it," he replied with a smirk.</p><p>Meanwhile, Wanda, Kanon, Shishi and Hayabusa were still trying to get up from the ground. Kanon and Wanda had it easier, but Shishi and Hayabusa had been too close from the danger and seemed to be sorer than the rest.</p><p>"A-are you all right…?" Shishi asked Hayabusa while he still had him in his arms. The SEED tossed and turned and rolled a few centimetres away from him, as if the mere fact of Shishi touching him or talking to him were making him sick.</p><p>"You are an… idiot…" Hayabusa replied, looking at him with disdain as he tried to recover. "Why would anyone risk his neck to… save who wanted to annihilate him…?"</p><p>Shishi managed to sit up and stayed there, looking at Hayabusa as he stood up.</p><p>"Playing with my friends, I learnt that… no one deserves to end up injured because of soccer, be it a teammate or a rival. There are no enemies… just people we challenge. I couldn't let that thing… hurt you, don't you think…?"</p><p>"…Idiot," Hayabusa repeated, already on his feet but still fighting to get his breath back. He calmed down and said: "We intended to destroy you and take you away with us. If not because of those 'little friends' of yours, you would now be a prisoner by order of Fifth Sector. How can you be so… <em>so</em>…?"</p><p>"I don't want anyone else to suffer. I don't know much about that Fifth Sector of yours, but those who fight against it want to put an end to those horrible ways you use and make soccer be as it used to. And I intend to help them, because I love soccer as well. Don't you think we won't achieve anything if, at least, we don't set an example ourselves?"</p><p>"Shishido…" I whispered in sheer emotion. I think no one heard me.</p><p>"You are… a bunch of idiots, but, still…"</p><p>Hayabusa snorted and averted his gaze from him, but after that he reached out to Shishi and helped him stand up.</p><p>"…thanks for what you did."</p><p>Shishi smiled at him softly.</p><p>Then, the white-haired boy clicked his fingers and his four companions gathered around him. With a quick motion of his arm, he generated a strong current of wind around the SEED, causing a huge cloud of dust to swirl around them which prevented us from seeing them.</p><p>Seconds after, when the dust dispersed, there were none or nothing. Fifth Sector had taken everything but the huge gap that the white-haired boy had opened in the ground.</p>
<hr/><p>Shishi and Kanon still hadn't managed to recover fully. I took a step toward Kanon to help him stand up, but the man in the apron got ahead of me.</p><p>"Are you all right, Kanon-san?" He said with a smile as he helped him to stand up.</p><p>"Y-yes, I think so… H-hey! How do you know my name, Mr. Apron?"</p><p>That's when I realised. How didn't I see it earlier?!</p><p>"T-Tobi-san!?" I screamed. The man turned toward me and smiled.</p><p>"Wasn't there a better place to cause a commotion at, Endou-san?"</p><p>I ran to him with all speed past Tora-tora, who didn't quite understand the situation. I dived against my old friend and I hugged him and Kanon tight. He patted my head and went on smiling at me.</p><p>I wouldn't stop getting astonished by how comprehensive everyone had become about hugs in those ten years, but it's not like I'm complaining!</p><p>I turned around and said:</p><p>"Look, Tora-tora! It's Tobitaka!<strong>!</strong>"</p><p>"W-what!? Are you telling me that's… Tobitaka-san? B-but… how!?" Tora-tora stammered, laughing awkwardly. Son Goku would only stare with his mouth half-open, pulling off a weird face.</p><p>"Because that's what Hii-jiichan wan—!" Kanon began to say, but I managed to cover his mouth in time.</p><p>"B-because we're still friends in the future! Right, Tobi-san?"</p><p>"May I know where you got the 'Tobi-san' thing from? …Anyway, we'd better talk about it all calmly." He looked down at me and said: "Do you still live on rice balls and ramen, Endou-san?"</p><p>To be honest, I had never stopped to think about it, but… I had to nod.</p><p>"Heh, all right. Then, you can all come in to the restaurant and have a bite, and bring your goalie friend. It's on the house."</p><p>"'The house'?" Tora-tora asked. "Then, is Rai Rai Ken yours now?"</p><p>Tobi-san just smiled, stood up and pushed Kanon and me from the back into the restaurant.</p><p>"Let's go inside. We'll talk there."</p>
<hr/><p>Kanon devoured the ramen he had been served in utter silence. As I told Shishi about everything Haru-san had told me about Fifth Sector, Tora-tora, who would maintain he was listening to me, curiously sniffed Kanon's bowl, and Son Goku wouldn't stop rubbing his hands together and throw casual glances to the front. Tobi-san turned around and placed a bowl of ramen as big as the previous one right before Son Goku, who looked up at him.</p><p>"A portion of plain ramen for Raimon's new keeper," he smiled. "It's the best anyone can eat after having to protect the goal from the attacks of such people. You showed great courage confronting that bird monster, boy, despite not having anything to face up to it as an equal."</p><p>Son Goku smiled shyly and lowered his eyes a bit. He seemed ashamed.</p><p>"What's your name, fire keeper?" Tobi-san asked, who had turned around again to get the next bowl of ramen ready.</p><p>"T-Taichi Sangoku, sir!" Son Goku exclaimed all of a sudden, sitting up straight on his chair. "It's a pleasure to meet you, sir…!"</p><p>"Same here, boy. And now, what did you want to tell me?"</p><p>Son Goku trembled and leant gently backward.</p><p>"H-how did you…?"</p><p>"I've been feeling your gaze on the back of my neck ever since I spoilt your match out there. Whatever you have to say, just spit it out. I don't bite."</p><p>"I wanted to tell you that… I have never seen a strength like yours, sir!" He exclaimed. "You stopped such a powerful shot without your hands nor any kind of hissatsu, just the strength of your legs! That was absolutely amazing…! I thought you would be some sort of soccer star, but when you told us you were just a cook, it was…"</p><p>"Disappointing?" Tobi-san asked without altering his tone.</p><p>"…I-I guess. Sir, abilities such as yours should not be wasted…! You should be engaged in soccer!"</p><p>"No," he answered emphatic but without raising his voice. "This is where I belong. This is where I want to be, and one must follow their heart, whatever it may say. My time as a soccer player was left behind a long time ago."</p><p>"Then, did you play soccer?"</p><p>Tobi-san turned around, picked up a pair of chopsticks from the bar, split them firmly and put them inside Son Goku's bowl. Then, he looked at Tora-tora and me and asked:</p><p>"Did I change that much during these years?"</p><p>We thought about it for a few seconds, and we both agreed that he did.</p><p>"Ah well," he sighed, going back to the kitchen. "I guess I was never too popular, anyway."</p><p>"Son Goku," I said with a smile, "this man here is none other than Seiya Tobitaka, one of Inazuma Japan's defenders."</p><p>Son Goku stood staring at him, holding his breath.</p><p>"…How didn't I realise earlier!" He said after a few seconds, leaning on the bar. "You are… the legendary Tobi The Kicker, the demonic hawk able to breach the void with the unnatural strength of his kicks!"</p><p>"Unnatural strength?" Shishi asked.</p><p>"'Demonic hawk'?" I said, making a wry face. "Where would you get that from?"</p><p>"Uh? T-those are the descriptions textbooks provide about Inazuma Japan's players."</p><p>"We appear on textbooks!?" Tora-tora asked with his eyes wide open and a huge smile on his face.</p><p>"'We appear'? W-wait… Endou-san, is this boy too…!?"</p><p>"Of course, I thought you knew! This is Toramaru Utsunomiya, one of Inazuma Japan's forwards."</p><p>"T-Toramaru Utsunomiya!? The Tiger Cub in person!? Inazuma Japan's novice whose ferocious roars, it is said, competed with the Fire Striker's legendary techniques?"</p><p>Tora-tora grimaced when he heard the 'cub' part, but as Son Goku talked, his expression changed until the only thing left was a smile that looked a bit… goofy, even if it's wrong to say it.</p><p>"…G-gee, so stilted," Tora-tora laughed, scratching the nape of his neck but unable to hide how happy he was. "They're too kind…! Did you know anything about all this, Tobitaka-san?"</p><p>"I didn't have the slightest idea, although I have never paid much attention to any of this ever since the world championship, to be honest. I like anonymity." He placed a bowl of ramen in front of Shishi. "Here you go. Ramen with extra pork so you'll recover soon, Shishido-san."</p><p>"T-thank you, Tobitaka-san!" He exclaimed, staring at the bowl. His mouth was watering. And mine too.</p><p>"B-by the way, Shishi," I asked, among other things to distract myself from hunger, "why were those people chasing you?"</p><p>"Ah, that…" He left his chopsticks aside and looked at me. "You see, captain… This morning, when you told me how the high school had changed due to ages mixing up, I went to scout to see for myself how much it had changed and how it looked now. And, well, when I was done strolling around the buildings, my curiosity was aroused and I went see if the Inabikari Centre was still the same or not, but, when I went in, I began to hear voices coming from the inside. I didn't expect anyone to be there…"</p><p>"Voices, huh? What did they say?"</p><p>"It was as if they were talking on the phone. They talked, but I couldn't hear any reply. They talked about handing the 'new facilities' over to Fifth Sector, and since you had told me about them, I decided to stay and listen some more, just in case I could help you guys. They also said that Raimon swore allegiance to it and that it would do anything for the glory of something called the… Setter? No, wait, that's a dog."</p><p>"The Seitei!" I said, and Shishi nodded.</p><p>"Y-yes, that's it! I climbed down some steps to try and listen to something else, but then I began to hear the voices of the boys that attacked us. Those, and one that seemed so familiar and set my teeth on edge. It sounded much like… Fuyukai's."</p><p>"Him again…" I whispered.</p><p>"I was so nervous that I couldn't resist it and I poked my head round, but Inabikari didn't look at all like I recalled! Just the entrance seemed like a different place, much more modern…! Then, they said something about turning that place into a new training centre for Fifth Sector, and… that was all. The white-haired boy saw me, told everyone else and I had to run away to the shopping district as best as I could so I wouldn't get caught. I'm sorry I got you all into this trouble…"</p><p>"No, Shishi, you did great. You risked yourself a lot just so you could help a fair cause, even if you were hurt! I don't want you to get into troubles like this again while you're injured, but… I'm really proud of you."</p><p>"MORE!" Kanon shouted, placing his empty bowl on the bar. Son Goku did the same, but much more gently.</p><p>"I don't want any more, thank you very much. I still have to have dinner at home."</p><p>Kanon picked up Son Goku's half full bowl and began to eat the leftovers as if they were his. Son Goku stood up and bowed slightly at Tobi-san.</p><p>"Thank you very much, sir."</p><p>"Don't mention it, boy."</p><p>"May I ask you one last question?"</p><p>"Sure."</p><p>"Where did you learn how to play like that? How did you turn into such a strong player?"</p><p>"Ask those two you have there," he replied, laughing under his breath. "It was thanks to them and to the whole of Inazuma Japan that I could become the player you know… or that you seem to know, at least. I owe them, and my mentor: the former owner of this restaurant, Seigou Hibiki. One of the best soccer players in history, an exceptional coach and an unsurpassable person."</p><p>"By the way, do you know where he is?" Tora-tora asked right while Tobi-san served him his bowl of ramen and Shishi began to eat from his. "I thought we would have him as our coach this year, but so far none of us has seen him anywhere around, and we have had to train for a few weeks already without a proper coach…"</p><p>"No, I don't know. The one I know left me alone one day without an explanation, and the one who belongs to your time hasn't shown up around here. I've heard that only a few people acquired two bodies after the time phenomenon; Hibiki-san might not be one of them. It would be… a shame, honestly."</p><p>At that moment, I stood thinking. Generally, according to what Kanon told me, only people whose feelings were different in both times kept two bodies; in other words, those who wouldn't have the same goals in my time and ten years later. And, should the goal be the same in both times, the remaining body would usually be the one who were best suited to accomplish that work.</p><p>That made me wonder about two things. First: what kind of goal could Hibiki-san have to need his ten year older body and for the body I knew to not be enough, if it was technically younger and stronger? And second: …was coaching Raimon not an important enough goal any more? Wasn't it worth to keep his younger body as well and help us?</p><p>"I'm sorry for you," Son Goku said all of a sudden, sighing lightly with his eyes closed. He looked… how should I put it, disappointed? "Now, I'm afraid I must go. Thank you very much again, sir. It was a pleasure to meet you, and your food is delicious. It's obvious that you enjoy what you do, sir."</p><p>"That's top priority. One must follow what their conscience dictates and not just comply with what other people impose on him."</p><p>Son Goku sighed so softly that it almost remained unnoticed.</p><p>"Hey, boy," Tobi-san added facing away from him as he carried on cooking. "Be very careful with the one guy who kicked. It's one of the strongest shots I've seen, and trust me, I've seen a few. But don't let that cow you or you'll end badly."</p><p>I looked at Son Goku. He seemed calm, but he had his fists tightly clenched and his arms and legs were shaking.</p><p>"Goodbye… for the present," he said, without really replying to Tobi-san's advice.</p><p>I sprang to my feet.</p><p>"I'll be leaving too, then," I said. "We still have something to do."</p><p>I said bye to my friends and helped Son Goku out.</p>
<hr/><p>"Upsy! That's it."</p><p>I finished placing inside the basket of the bicycle what Son Goku and I had just bought at the greengrocer's. We only just made it there, but luckily the saleswoman is very nice and she closed a bit later than usual to serve us.</p><p>"Thank you for your suggestion. They do look good."</p><p>"No, thank you," I replied with a smile. "You helped us face up to those SEED despite all. You faced up to your own fears to help someone you didn't even know just because I asked you to do it."</p><p>"…It's what you said, Endou-san. I couldn't let them hurt someone innocent."</p><p>"That's why I told you you have to become strong. You never know what's ahead of you, and it's better to prepare yourself the best you can… just in case."</p><p>Son Goku glared at his hands and realised he was still wearing my gloves. He stood looking for a few seconds at all the grazes and scratches they had, but then he took them off and gave them back to me. Usually, I would have put them on again just like that, but that time I didn't. Instead, I squeezed them in my hand and put them in my pocket.</p><p>It was time I stopped acting like a captain and began to do something for them as their coach… or as their coach-to-be, at least.</p><p>"Look for a way to turn your goal into an impenetrable wall, Sangoku," I told him all of a sudden, in earnest. He got surprised and stared at me in silence. It felt weird to talk to him like that, taking into account that he was taller than me, but I tried not to think about that and continued: "Your job as the goalkeeper consists in not letting them score, and it's up to you to look for a way to do so that is yours and yours alone."</p><p>"What do you mean, sir?" He asked me. I was surprised to see him treating me with so much respect all of a sudden, but it wasn't the right time to stop to talk about that. …Also, I might have liked it a bit.</p><p>"Your Burning Catch. It's a strong technique, but you will need more than that to face up to what's coming. How long has it been since you created it?"</p><p>"When I got into Raimon, I think… About three years ago."</p><p>"It must mean so much to you," I smiled, "but it's time you took a step forward. I'm sure that you have learnt a bunch during these three years, but it's all useless if your abilities can't bring out everything you are worth! You have the necessary experience, so show everyone that you can protect Raimon's goal from any attack! As a goalkeeper, the day will come when you will have to fight on your own, alone, and you must get ready for that. I know you will manage to create something unique and unbeatable, Sangoku. After all, you have your own Goddess of Victory looking after you!"</p><p>"Endou-san…" He sighed, with a little smile on his lips. After that, he simply nodded and sat on his bicycle.</p><p>"Good luck tomorrow! And you will tell me what you think of the veggies!" I shouted at him as he got ready to leave. He turned around and gave me a thumbs-up right before he began to pedal.</p><p>He came across someone on his way home that day.</p><p>I fell to the floor on my butt and I wasn't able to stand up until Kanon came out of Rai Rai Ken and came and fetched me.</p><p>I was starving. Tobi-san owed me an immense bowl of ramen.</p>
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